Courgette Pea and Pesto Soup (Printable version)

Vibrant spring soup with courgette, peas, and basil 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

→ Garnish and Serving

11 - Fresh basil leaves
12 - Crusty bread

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened but not browned.
02 - Add the diced potato and courgette, stir well, and cook for another 3 minutes.
03 - Pour in the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until the potato is tender.
04 - Add the peas and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
05 - Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender or transfer in batches to a countertop blender and blend the soup until smooth.
06 - Stir in 3 tablespoons of pesto, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
07 - Ladle into bowls, swirl in the remaining pesto, and garnish with fresh basil. Serve hot with crusty bread if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes, which means you can have a restaurant-quality soup on the table before dinner guests arrive.
  • The pesto swirl transforms a simple vegetable soup into something that tastes deliberately luxurious without any fuss.
  • It's naturally light but genuinely satisfying, so you won't feel weighed down but you will feel properly nourished.
02 -
  • Pesto burns and loses its vibrant flavor if you add it before blending, so always stir it in after the heat is off and the soup is cooling slightly.
  • An immersion blender makes this so much easier and faster than transferring everything to a countertop blender, plus there's far less mess to clean up afterward.
03 -
  • Buy the best pesto you can afford or make your own, because it's only 4 tablespoons but it's the soul of this entire dish.
  • If your immersion blender is struggling, let the soup cool for 2 minutes before blending because cooler liquid is easier to work with and safer to handle.
Return