You Should Really Be Putting Pesto in Your Soup, Let Me Tell You Why

Confessions of an aging person who basically eats snack food for money from 9 to 5: I need to eat healthy dinners. I require them. And soup is a go-to. My search history is loaded with queries for things like “easy low cal soups,” not just because I’m a victim of diet culture (and also not because I’m NOT) but because a lot of the time, low calorie, decently low fat soups are very delicious compared to other low cal, decently low fat meals.

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I recently came across a Weight Watchers recipe (oh, hush) that’s become part of my regular rotation. It’s pretty simple: shredded chicken, broth, cheese tortellini, a handful or two of fresh baby spinach, and a secret ingredient that’s pretty much changed my soup game: pesto.

You should really, really be putting pesto in your soups

If you’d already thought of this and you’re like, yeah, duh—well, congrats! You’re smarter than me and I’m not afraid to admit it. What can I say? I’ve always been a late bloomer!

But if this idea is news to you, let me explain why it’s a game changer. In short, pesto is made with so many things you definitely want in soup, especially a brothy, Italian-inspired soup: olive oil, basil, and parmesan cheese. That’s a shortcut to a lot of flavor right there. No need to grate cheese or chop basil, just add a couple heaping tablespoons of pesto to the pot.

Hey, G: Not to burst your “healthy soup” bubble, but isn’t pesto pretty fatty?

It is, yes. The WW recipe actually calls for “reduced fat” pesto, which I’ve yet to encounter. But I also cut down the amount of pesto the recipe calls for (I add a quarter cup rather than a half cup) and it still adds so much flavor. Our taste test-approved favorite pesto is Kirkland Basil Pesto, but I prefer fresh pesto for these purposes. Rana is my go-to for pesto—it’s not too runny and oily and it tastes great.

Other suggestions:

If you’re still buying broth for every pot of soup you make, that’s great and fine, but I prefer to have a jar of Better Than Bouillon in the fridge. Just stir a tsp into a cup of water for every cup of broth the recipe calls for and, voila, broth—no need to keep a dozen Tetra Paks in the pantry at all times.
This is a slow cooker recipe, but I cook it on the stovetop and it’s FAST. That’s kind of the beauty of pesto as an add-in—it gives the soup slow-cooked flavor even if you’re whipping it up after work.
I haven’t tried this, but I don’t see any reason this wouldn’t work REALLY WELL for zshushing up canned soups. Stuck with a plain can of chicken noodle? Pesto chicken noodle is a lot more compelling.

Have soup hacks of your own? Please put them in the comments—this is a soup-positive space!

About the Author

Howdy! I’m Gwynedd, Sporked’s managing editor. I live in Los Angeles and have access to the best tacos the U.S. has to offer—but I’m a sucker for a crunchy Old El Paso taco night every now and then. I’ve been at Sporked since 2022 and I’m still searching frozen mozzarella sticks that can hold a candle to restaurant sticks. Why you should trust me: I’ve been a journalist for 20 years (yikes), a consumer of food for 40-plus years, and I’m truly hard pressed to think of foods I don’t like (or that I can’t tolerate at the very least). Oh and one time I cooked my way through Guy Fieri’s cookbook and wrote about the journey through Flavortown. What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s Original Savory Thins. Fat free plain yogurt (usually Fage or Nancy’s). Honeycrisp apples. Sweet cream coffee creamer for my at-home Americanos. A frozen cauliflower crust pizza and some jarred mushrooms to top it with. Old El Paso Stand ‘N Stuff taco shells and Gardein Ground Be’f, even though I think “be’f” is a nightmarish contraction. Favorite ranking: Stouffer’s frozen dinners. I don’t own a microwave (I get my cancers the old fashioned way!), so I love taste testing things that I don’t really buy to eat at home. Least favorite ranking: Soy sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I love soy sauce—but consuming that much sodium in one sitting is probably illegal in some countries. Our frozen enchilada taste test was a close second; the smell of microwaved corn tortillas still haunts me.