This Vegetable Orzo Soup is easy, simple, and so comforting! It's made in one pot, and it can be ready in 30 minutes with minimal hands-on work! You can serve it for both lunch and dinner, and it's freezer-friendly! It's dairy-free, vegan, and packed with protein!
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Why You'll Love This Vegetable Orzo Soup
Hearty and filling - Orzo, all the veggies, and chickpeas make this soup very hearty and protein-rich. The orzo cooks right in the soup, and the starch from it helps to thicken the soup. It's thick but light and so flavorful!
One pot meal - This soup can be ready in as little as 30 minutes, and it's super easy to make! It's made with simple ingredients and pantry staples, and everything is done in one pot!
Great for any time of the year - You can make it with seasonal produce in the summer or with fresh or frozen veggies in the winter when all you're craving is comforting hot meals.
Great for meal prep and freezer-friendly - This soup will last you in the fridge for a few days, and it reheats really well, which makes it perfect for meal prep! You can even store it in the freezer for busy days when you don't feel like cooking. Orzo keeps its shape really well, so it's perfect for soups like this one because it won't become mushy.
Ingredients
- Yellow onion, carrots, celery, and garlic - These aromatics are where most of the flavor in the soup comes from! You can never go wrong with this combination of veggies. They're the base for most of my soups. If you don't like chopping them every time, I highly recommend chopping and freezing a bigger batch at once to always have them on hand for soups!
- Avocado oil - I recommend cooking the onion and aromatics in pure avocado oil
- Zucchini - This is optional, but zucchini is a great addition to the soup! You can dice it slightly larger than the carrots and celery because it cooks faster.
- Baby spinach - Fresh spinach adds color and nutrients. It wilts down quite a lot in the soup so it's an easy way to get more of it into your diet!
- Canned diced tomatoes - You can use fire-roasted canned tomatoes for more flavor or plain canned diced tomatoes. I recommend Roma tomatoes for the best flavor.
- Tomato paste - To give the soup a stronger tomato flavor, I added tomato paste. I don't recommend skipping this as it could result in bland soup.
- Vegetable broth - I like using vegetable broth here to keep the soup vegan, but chicken broth would be delicious as well!
- Orzo pasta - Orzo is a type of small pasta that kind of looks like rice, but it's made of wheat. You'll add dry orzo straight into the simmering soup. The starches from the orzo are what helps thicken the soup. You can also use gluten-free orzo or rice instead.
- Dried herbs - I used my homemade Italian Seasoning to season the soup, but you can also use a mix of oregano, thyme, parsley, rosemary, or sage.
- Parsley and lemon juice - Fresh, finely chopped parsley adds color and a ton of flavor to the soup, and freshly squeezed lemon juice balances all the flavors.
Variations and Substitutions
- Canned chickpeas - This is optional, but I love adding canned chickpeas. It's an easy way to add more protein and stretch the soup into more servings! You can also add cannellini beans, pinto beans, or even lentils (not red lentils because they don't keep their shape). I like chickpeas because they keep their shape the best.
- Rice instead of orzo - If you want the soup to be gluten-free, you can add rice instead of the orzo. I'd recommend white rice because it has a very similar cooking time. You can add the dry rice straight into the soup as you would the orzo.
- Different pasta - You can add other small pasta shapes like ditalini, small shells, or even spaghetti broken into smaller pieces.
- Different greens - If you don't have baby spinach, you can use regular spinach, curly kale, Tuscan kale, or baby kale.
- Add potatoes - You can add diced potatoes to make the soup heartier and even more filling. I recommend dicing them into small pieces, similar in size to the carrots and zucchini to make sure they cook properly.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Start by chopping all your vegetables into bite-size pieces.
- Add avocado oil, finely diced onion, and sea salt to a large soup pot.
- Stir and cook the onion for 3-4 minutes over medium heat until glossy and slightly caramelized.
- Add garlic and cook for just 30 seconds or so until it’s fragrant.
- Add diced carrots, celery, zucchini, Italian seasoning, and tomato paste.
- Sauté the vegetables for 2-3 minutes.
- Add canned diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and bay leaves.
- Stir to mix everything and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, partially covered.
- Add dry orzo and cook for 15 minutes. Stir the soup often, especially in the first 10 minutes, because the orzo likes to sink and stick to the bottom.
- Take the bay leaves out.
- Stir in canned chickpeas and baby spinach.
- Allow the spinach to wilt and add more if desired.
- Take the soup off the heat and finish with finely chopped fresh parsley, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper, and sea salt to taste if needed. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks!
- Stir the soup often after adding orzo - Dry orzo likes to sink to the bottom of the pot, so you have to stir the soup often to avoid it sticking and burning on the bottom, especially in the first 10 minutes or so.
- Add more water or broth for looser soup - Orzo will absorb a decent amount of liquid, and it will keep absorbing more as it sits. Because of this, the soup thickens quite a lot. If you want it to be more liquid, add more broth or water. This is especially true when you're reheating it after it sits in the fridge for a couple of days.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve the soup as it is or garnish it with some extra fresh herbs like parsley or chives and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. I often have pecorino cheese on hand instead because I prefer its saltier and stronger flavor, but either works. You could also use vegan parmesan cheese to keep the soup dairy-free.
You can also add some croutons on top for some crunch. I recommend these Sourdough Croutons if you want them extra crunchy!
Storing and Reheating
Refrigerator: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Wait for the soup to cool before closing it with a lid. Reheat it on the stove over medium heat.
Freezer: You can store the soup in a freezer-safe container for 3-4 months when stored properly. Defrost it in the fridge overnight first or reheat from frozen on the stove in a pot with a large splash of water to avoid it burning.
FAQs
Yes, you can! I recommend white rice because it has a similar cooking time to the orzo.
Add lemon juice at the end, more salt, chili flakes, or parmesan cheese. Parmesan or pecorino adds umami that balances all the flavors.
Similar Soup Recipes
If you want to try other soups similar to this one, try any of the four below! They can all be made vegan, and they're just as easy to make as this orzo one! Most are blended smooth. To see all the latest ones, head over to Soup Recipes.
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Print📖 Recipe
Vegetable Orzo Soup
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-6
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegetable Orzo Soup is easy, simple, and so comforting! It's made in one pot in 30 minutes and it's freezer-friendly! Dairy-free and vegan!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- ½ heaping cup finely diced yellow onion (1 small onion)
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ cup diced carrots
- ¾ cup chopped celery
- 1 small zucchini, diced (approx. 1 cup diced)
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 28 oz can diced tomatoes (use fire-roasted for more flavor)
- 6 cups vegetable broth (or a mix of vegetable broth and water, 32 oz box is scant 4 cups)
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 cup dry orzo
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1-2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add avocado oil, finely diced onion, and sea salt to a large soup pot.
- Stir and cook the onion for 3-4 minutes over medium heat until glossy and slightly caramelized.
- Add garlic and cook for just 30 seconds or so until it’s fragrant.
- Add diced carrots, celery, zucchini, Italian seasoning, and tomato paste.
- Saute the vegetables for 2-3 minutes.
- Add canned diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and bay leaves.
- Stir to mix everything and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, partially covered.
- Add dry orzo and cook for 15 minutes. Stir often, especially in the first 10 minutes, because the orzo likes to sink and stick to the bottom.
- Take the bay leaves out.
- Stir in canned chickpeas and baby spinach.
- Take the soup off the heat and finish with finely chopped fresh parsley, lemon juice, and black pepper. Enjoy!
Notes
Refrigerator: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The soup will thicken as it sits because the pasta will keep absorbing the water. Add more broth or water before reheating to loosen it if desired.
Freezer: You can freeze the soup in a freezer-safe container for up to 3-4 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight or reheat from frozen over medium-low heat with a good splash of water.
Veronika Sykorova says
This is my new favorite spring and summer soup! It's comforting, filling, and it can be made with fresh seasonal produce!