Courgette Pea and Pesto Soup (Print)

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

# Ingredients:

→ 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 & Seasoning

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

→ Pesto

10 - 4 tablespoons basil pesto, store-bought or homemade

→ To Serve

11 - Fresh basil leaves for garnish
12 - Crusty bread

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic, sautéing for 3-4 minutes until softened and fragrant but not browned.
02 - Add diced potato and courgette to the pan, stirring well to combine. Cook for an additional 3 minutes.
03 - Pour in vegetable stock and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until potato is tender and courgette is soft.
04 - Stir in peas and continue simmering for 5 minutes until heated through.
05 - Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, carefully transfer soup in batches to a countertop blender.
06 - Stir in 3 tablespoons of pesto thoroughly. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and swirl remaining pesto on surface. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve immediately with crusty bread.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's ready in under 45 minutes, which means you can go from craving soup to eating it before your mood changes.
  • The pesto swirl isn't just pretty—it's the moment everything clicks into place, like finding the one thing that was missing.
  • Fresh peas and courgette together hit that sweet spot between light and filling, perfect for when you want nourishment without heaviness.
02 -
  • Don't skip the pesto swirl at the end—it sounds decorative but it's actually doing the heavy lifting, bringing brightness and depth that transforms the whole thing.
  • If you blend it while it's still too hot, you'll end up with a warm soup that tastes slightly subdued because the heat mutes the pesto's freshness, so let it cool for just a minute.
03 -
  • Use an immersion blender if you have one—it's faster than transferring to a separate blender, and your soup stays hotter and brighter tasting.
  • The pesto is your final seasoning tool; taste the soup before you add it and let that guide how much you actually need, because some pestos are saltier than others.
Back