White Bean, Pesto, and Lemon Soup with Rice
I love soup for an easy, cozy meal but my problem with it has always been there’s little to no protein. So, I decided to make this white bean, pesto, and lemon soup, which includes two cans of beans, upping the protein content. This recipe is originally from my August 2024 grocery series where I turned a $55 grocery haul into five meals. Here’s a link to the long-form video of the recipe with detailed instructions.
If you try out this recipe, I want to know! Leave a comment with a star rating below if you love it. You can also snap a photo & tag @jenneatsgoood on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews help support this blog and make it possible for me to continue to create healthier recipes!
Try out some of my other soup recipes if you’re looking for more:
- Vegan corn chowder with crispy chickpeas
- Slow cooker chicken tortilla soup
- Dairy free chicken pot pie soup
- Mushroom and wild rice soup
- Lemon dill chicken and rice soup
white bean, pesto, and lemon soup with rice
white bean, pesto, and lemon soup with rice
4
servings10
minutes40
minutesI love soup for an easy, cozy meal but my problem with it has always been there’s little to no protein. So, I decided to make this white bean, pesto, and lemon soup, which includes two cans of beans, upping the protein content. This recipe is originally from my August 2024 grocery series where I turned a grocery haul into five meals. Here’s a link to the long-form video of the recipe with detailed instructions.
Keep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
- Nut-free kale pesto (yields 1 cup)
1.5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1.5 cup shredded kale, tightly packed
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (can sub grated parmesan)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 garlic clove, peeled & minced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil, plus additional as needed to yield 1 full cup of pesto
- Soup
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 large shallot, finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, peeled & minced
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp kosher salt, plus additional to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 cup dry basmati or jasmine rice, rinsed
2.5 cups chicken or veggie broth
1.5 cups water, plus additional as needed
3/4 cup canned coconut milk (1/2 can)
2 cans great northern, navy, or cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
3 cups shredded kale, packed
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
1/4 cup nut-free kale pesto (1/4 of recipe above)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1-2 tbsp lemon zest, plus additional for garnish
Directions
- Zest the lemon and set aside.
- Prepare the pesto by combining all ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor or blender and process until the basil and kale are in very small pieces. Scrape the sides, then while continuing to process slowly stream in the olive oil until fully incorporated into the pesto. Measure out 1/4 cup, set aside, and store the rest in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven with a lid over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the shallot and let cook until translucent, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic, oregano, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes and continue cooking, stirring continuously, for another minute. Incorporate the nutritional yeast and stir again.
- Add in the rice and stir to coat in the spices. Let toast while stirring for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the broth, water, and coconut milk, place the lid on the pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and let cook, covered, until the rice is just about fully cooked, 9 to 12 minutes.
- Add the beans, kale, and basil to the pot, stir, and place the lid back on. Note: you can add additional water here if the soup is thicker than your preference. Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes to soften the beans and finish cooking the rice.
- Remove the lid and stir in the pesto, lemon juice, lemon zest, and basil. Salt to taste and simmer on low to let the flavors combine for about 5 minutes, then serve immediately for best results.
Did you make this recipe?
Snap a photo & tag @jenneatsgoood on INSTAGRAM
If you try out this recipe, I want to know!
Leave a comment with a star rating below if you love it.
Loved everything about this meal. The prep was super easy– the pesto was simple to prep, & I love only having to chop a couple of things then dump everything in a pot. The soup was delicious. The flavors were still light and summery while introducing the warm & cozy feeling of autumnal foods.
My sister and I absolutely loved it eating this yummy comforting soup! I subbed out orzo for rice and it is sublime. Thank you so much Jenn for this incredible series!
not a win win here. all the family don’t find it very good. I Think this miss some epice or somethinh to get more taste.
but a good trying! We love your receipes every times. thanks for sharing
Has anyone tried freezing it yet? Would love to do this in batches and freeze it. Thanks.
Hi P, you could 100% freeze this soup! Just reheat in a saucepan or pot over low when you’re ready to enjoy it again ☺️
This is such a cozy comfort recipe. This one’s a keeper!
My family and I are big fans of this recipe. I did substitute the beans and coconut milk, and it was fabulous! I loved all the pops of flavor. I loved it so much (and am not a huge soup lover), that I shared it with four different people. This one is a make again for sure. I’ve become a huge fan of your recipes!!
I absolutely LOVE this soup! The flavors are light and summery (I’m in Florida and it’s definitely still summer here), but with the comfort of soup. I have yet to make one of your recipes that I did not like. The grocery series is my favorite because I’m not wasting food and I get enough servings for my partner and I to have for dinner and then lunch the next day! Score 🙌🏻 saving money, reducing food waste, and feeling better! I’ve actually lost a few pounds as well. This is my third grocery series week. Can’t wait to see what comes next!
This was absolutely delicious. 10/10. I loved how cozy and comforting this soup was, while also being light enough for summer still. It’s about 60* here tonight and it was a perfect start to the fall. I’ll definitely be making this through the winter, though! The pesto is a great touch.
This was incredibly delicious, even my husband loved it, and he is not typically a fan of soups. The pesto whipped up quickly and the flavors were on point. I blindly trust Jenn’s recipes now, I have yet to try one I didn’t like.
Made this recipe for the first time and fell in LOVE. I 100% will be making that again. So flavorful and comforting. I added more red pepper flakes thought because I like my food really spicy.
Thank you for sharing this!
This is the second time I’ve made this (I’m always short basil and 1 can of beans) and I think it’s even better than the first time! Love these recipes.
Was skeptical but wanted to try and I loved it. Being a picky eater I replaced the kale with spinach and it worked well. I also added chicken to it. Planning on making a big batch to freeze for later.
My family and I LOVED this soup! It will become a regular meal for us. THANK YOU!!
This soup is so good! Subbed ditalini for the rice and it worked great!
This is a 10/10 repeat recipe! I love that it freezes well! The flavors blend together so well and I love having a meatless option!
This was a hit! My vegetarian daughter loved it. I subbed homemade cashew milk for the coconut milk and used a pre-made vegan pesto. I added a lot of extra water but it still ended up more like risotto – which was totally fine. Thank you for a great recipe!