This bright green soup uses simple, wholesome ingredients and is full of fresh flavour. Light and quick to prepare, it’s perfect for a weekday dinner or a relaxed weekend lunch. Serve it with crusty bread for a comforting bowlful.
After a week of pasta dishes, I wanted something lighter and refreshing, so I made this vibrant green soup. It features one of my favourite additions: pesto. Enjoy it on its own or with a slice of crusty bread—it’s a satisfying, light meal you can make in about 30 minutes.
The base starts with a classic soffritto: finely chopped carrot, celery and onion sautéed gently in olive oil. Use good-quality chicken stock or vegetable stock for a vegetarian version. For the greens I used brassica rapa (bok choy), but spinach, cabbage or kale are great alternatives.
For the best flavour, stir in homemade pesto rather than a store-bought version—the difference is noticeable. The pesto gives the soup its bright, herbaceous colour and depth.
How To Make Green Soup With Pesto, Greens & Beans – Step By Step
Start by finely chopping carrot, celery and onion. Heat a little olive oil in a large pot and sauté the vegetables for 6–7 minutes until soft but not browned.
Add chicken or vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
Once the stock is boiling, add the greens and simmer for 10 minutes until tender.
Stir in pre-cooked cannellini beans and homemade pesto, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for another 10 minutes to meld the flavours. Serve with an extra grind of pepper and a sprinkle of parmesan if you like.
Simple, quick and delicious—this soup makes a great light meal any time. If you enjoy easy soups, try the other recipes listed below.
More Simple Soup Recipes To Try;
- Tuscan farro soup with beans
- Chickpea soup
- Comforting zucchini potato soup
- Pappa al pomodoro – tomato bread soup
- Roasted vegetable soup
If you try this green soup or any other recipe, please leave a rating and share how it turned out in the comments—I love hearing from readers.
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Vibrant Green Soup Recipe
By Emily
10 mins
20 mins
30 mins
6 people
Ingredients
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery stalk
- 1 onion yellow or white
- 1 1/4 cup (280g) cannellini beans pre-cooked, canned
- 1/2 cup homemade pesto see pesto recipe
- 8 cups (4 litres) chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 brassica rapa (bok choy) cut into thin strips
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to season
- parmesan for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Finely chop the carrot, celery and onion. Heat the olive oil in a large pot and sauté the vegetables until soft but not browned (about 6–7 minutes).
- Add the stock and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, add the bok choy (or your chosen greens) and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the pre-cooked cannellini beans and homemade pesto. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for another 10 minutes. Serve with extra pepper and parmesan if desired.
Notes
- Use the homemade pesto recipe for best flavour.
- Bok choy (brassica rapa) can be swapped for spinach, kale, cabbage or other greens.
- If substituting with tender greens like spinach or kale, add them with the beans and pesto and simmer for 10 minutes. For cabbage, follow the original directions.
- When replacing bok choy, use about 80g (2.8oz) of chopped spinach, kale or cabbage.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I use extra virgin olive oil unless stated otherwise.
- All vegetables are medium-sized unless noted.
- Recipes are tested using a fan (convection) oven where applicable.
- Nutrition information is an estimate calculated automatically.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 18 g |
Protein: 12 g |
Fat: 11 g |
Sodium: 497 mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
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