Courgette Pea and Pesto (Printable Version)

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

# What You'll 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

→ Garnish and Serving

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

# How-To Steps:

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 an additional 3 minutes to allow vegetables to begin softening.
03 - Pour in vegetable stock and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until potato becomes tender.
04 - Add peas to the saucepan and continue simmering for 5 minutes until fully cooked and tender.
05 - Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, blend until soup reaches desired smooth consistency. Alternatively, carefully transfer in batches to a countertop blender.
06 - Stir in 3 tablespoons of basil pesto and season with salt and pepper to taste, adjusting seasoning as needed.
07 - Ladle soup into serving bowls, create a swirl with remaining pesto, and garnish with fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately with crusty bread if desired.

# Tips for Success:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes, which means you can have a restaurant-quality soup on the table before dinner without the stress.
  • The pesto swirl feels fancy enough to serve guests, but it's honestly just about making something simple taste unforgettable.
  • One pot, one blender, and you're done—no complicated technique to learn or mess up.
02 -
  • Don't blend the soup while it's still piping hot unless you want a burnt countertop and a scary steam situation—I learned this the hard way and it wasn't pretty.
  • The texture of pesto varies wildly, so stir in the first 3 tablespoons slowly and taste before you commit to more, otherwise you can overshoot the flavor.
03 -
  • The immersion blender is genuinely worth having for this—it's faster, safer, and requires way less cleanup than transferring hot soup to a countertop blender.
  • Make extra pesto or buy a quality jar because the difference between a good swirl and a stingy drizzle is everything in terms of how good this tastes.
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