Courgette Pea Pesto Soup (Printable version)

Vibrant spring soup with fresh courgette, sweet peas and herby pesto swirl. Ready in 40 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 medium courgettes (zucchini), diced
02 - 1 medium onion, chopped
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 1⅓ cups frozen or fresh peas
05 - 1 medium potato, peeled and diced

→ Liquids

06 - 4 cups vegetable stock

→ Herbs and Seasoning

07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
08 - ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
09 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ Pesto

10 - 4 tablespoons basil pesto

→ Optional Garnish

11 - Fresh basil leaves for serving
12 - Crusty bread for serving

# Step-by-step guide:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic, sautéing for 3 to 4 minutes until softened but not browned.
02 - Add diced potato and courgette to the pan, stir well, and cook for 3 minutes.
03 - Pour in vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until potato is tender.
04 - Stir in peas and continue simmering for 5 minutes.
05 - Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth. Alternatively, carefully transfer soup in batches to a countertop blender.
06 - Stir in 3 tablespoons of pesto and season with salt and pepper to taste.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls, swirl remaining pesto on top, and garnish with fresh basil leaves. Serve hot with crusty bread if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour but tastes like you spent much longer
  • The texture is impossibly silky without needing any cream at all
02 -
  • An immersion blender is worth it here but if you use a regular blender, leave the steam escape vent open
  • The soup thickens as it cools so don't panic if it looks a bit thin in the pan
03 -
  • Dont skip the potato. It's what makes the texture feel luxurious without any dairy
  • For a vegan version, just ensure your pesto is made without cheese or use a vegan brand
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