Veggie Pesto Pasta Soup with Kale

Vegetarian pasta soup is so super comforting. It's got loads of Italian flavour and fills you up thanks to plenty of vegetables and beans!

Are you ready for extreme winter comfort food?

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I am making non stop soups at the moment. There's really nothing better in the winter than soup everyday. Especially when they're so full of extra little treats like pasta and beans like this vegetable soup with pasta shells.

The most amazing thing about this soup is the pesto stirred through during cooking. It adds so much incredible flavour to the soup and is really such a simple way of completely changing up the flavour of the soup. 

I also added a parmesan rind to the soup and it's one of my all time favourite tips to fill whatever you're making with an amazing richness. I would highly recommend you add one to all your soups and stews. Please never throw away your parmesan rinds!

So here's what we've got going on here...

Onion and garlic fried until softened then we add in carrots, thyme sprigs, vegetable stock, parmesan rind and pesto. Let that bubble away then liven everything up with a big squeeze of lemon juice.

Just before serving I stirred through some kale, beans and cooked pasta. I used this super cute tiny pasta I found at the supermarket which are basically just really tiny shells but you can use any shortcut pasta you like.

The reason I cooked the pasta separately is to avoid it soaking up to much of the liquid during the cooking process. If you would rather cook the pasta in the soup then keep an eye on the amount of liquid in the soup and add more stock if necessary. 

Why we love this pasta soup:

• It's vegetarian and full of healthy ingredients which makes it perfect for a weeknight dinner
• It's easy to make gluten free, simply switch the regular pasta for your favourite gluten free brand
• It's a great soup to make for meal prep since you can make a big batch on a Sunday and then have it for lunches and dinners all week long
• It's perfect for the whole family as adults and kids will both love it and it's filled with loads of healthy veg
• Finally, it's perfect for using up leftover vegetables and reducing food waste as you can add whatever vegetables you have on hand to the soup

Ingredients:

• Veggies: Onion, garlic, carrots and kale all go in to make this soup filling and nutritious. Use leftovers in this skillet vegetable pie
• Herbs: I just used fresh thyme in this soup and it added a lovely layer of flavour
• Vegetable Stock: This makes up the best of the soup so a good quality one is good or, even better, homemade
• Pesto: Again shop bought or homemade is fine, I just used one from the supermarket. If you want to a way to use up leftovers then try making this breaded fish with pesto yoghurt dip
• Parmesan Rind: The thing you should be adding to all your soups and stews, it adds a super savoury umami flavour that I cannot get enough of. If you're looking for other recipes which use parmesan then try this simple tomato pasta
• Pasta: Something little is best
• Beans: I used butter beans but really any white bean will be good

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How to make it

1. Fry the onion, garlic and carrot: Heat the oil over a medium heat and add the onion, cook for a few minutes then add the garlic and carrots.
2. Add liquid and bring to a simmer: Add thyme sprigs, stock, pesto, parmesan rind and juice of the lemon to the pot and simmer.
3. Cook the pasta: While the soup simmers cook the pasta according to packet instructions.
4. Finish the soup: Add the kale, beans and pasta to the soup. Remove the parmesan rind and serve.

Variations:

• Add protein: If you want to include meat in this soup then it would be really good with some shredded cooked chicken stirred through before serving
• Use different beans: I used butter beans in this soup but you could switch them for whichever bean you prefer or even chickpeas
• To make this recipe vegan use your favourite vegan pesto and leave out the parmesan
• If you're a strict vegetarian make sure to get vegetarian parmesan for this soup
• Adding the parmesan rind is optional but highly recommended if you want that rich flavour
• To make this recipe gluten free simply use your favourite brand of gluten free pasta

FAQs

How to freeze pasta soup?

Since the pasta has a tendency to absorb extra liquid when left to sit, after freezing the soup you might need to add a little more water or stock when reheating to return it to its original soupy consistency.

What pasta to use for pasta soup?

I used this super cute tiny pasta called conchigliette which is basically a smaller version of conchiglie (it's direct translation is little shells) but you could use any other small pasta. Orzo would work as would macaroni. 

What other veggies could I add to pasta soup?

As mentioned above, this recipe is great for reducing food waste as pretty much any vegetable will work. For this version is used carrots and kale because that's what I had on hand but feel free to add whatever else you like including spinach, celery, broccoli, cauliflower or peas. Honestly anything will taste delicious!

Can pasta cook in soup?

If you want to cut out a step you could cook the pasta in the soup. However, the pasta soaks up a lot of liquid while cooking which is why I love to cook it separately. If you do cook it in the soup then make sure to keep an eye on how much liquid there is and top up with extra stock or water if necessary.

Want more? Try these other vegetarian soup recipes!

• Kale and White Bean Soup
• Roasted Red Pepper Soup with White Beans
• Moroccan Carrot Soup with Cinnamon Hazelnuts
• Vegetable Soup with Vegetarian Dumplings
• Vegan Tortilla Soup
• Chipotle Cheddar Sweet Potato Soup

Recipe

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