Courgette Pea and Pesto Soup (Printable)

Fresh courgette and sweet peas blended with aromatic pesto for a vibrant spring soup 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, store-bought or homemade

→ Optional Garnish

11 - Fresh basil leaves
12 - Crusty bread for serving

# How-To:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic, sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened but not browned.
02 - Add diced potato and courgette to the saucepan, 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 - Add peas and continue simmering for 5 minutes.
05 - Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender to blend soup until smooth, or carefully blend in batches using 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 surface, and garnish with fresh basil leaves. Serve hot with crusty bread if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The pesto adds a punch of concentrated herb flavor that makes the whole bowl feel like it came from a fancy bistro.
  • It is one of those rare dishes that tastes just as incredible served cold on a humid afternoon as it does steaming hot.
02 -
  • Overcooking the peas will ruin that gorgeous bright green color and make the soup look dull.
  • Adding the pesto while the soup is off the heat preserves the fresh punchy flavor of the basil.
03 -
  • A tiny squeeze of fresh lemon juice right before serving cuts through the richness and brightens the whole dish.
  • Always taste your pesto before adding it because some brands are much saltier than others.
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