This quick and easy orzo vegetable soup is delicious and infused with so much flavor! It only takes 30 minutes to make in one pot for a cozy, hearty meal that will warm you up on a chilly day.
Orzo vegetable soup is a light and flavorful soup made with a mix of veggies, beans and orzo.
It's infused with loads of flavor from herbs and lemon, and it pairs perfectly with a chunk of crusty bread.
This is a one-pot recipe that's naturally vegan and easy to customize with any veggies you may have in the fridge or pantry. Zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers and potatoes are all great options.
I love orzo in soups because it cooks very quickly and adds some carbs to turn any soup into a complete meal.
If you're not a fan of orzo, you can use rice instead, but you'll need to cook it for longer.
Why you'll love this orzo vegetable soup
- Extra flavorful and made with wholesome ingredients
- One-pot soup that's ready in just a bit over 30 minutes
- Packed with veggies and beans for a super healthy meal
Ingredients and substitutions
Olive oil — Sauteeing the veggies in a bit of extra virgin olive oil sets up an excellent flavor base for the soup. However, if you don't cook with oil, you can saute them in a bit of veggie stock instead.
Onion, carrot and celery — I like to dice the onion, carrot and celery quite small so they cook quickly.
Garlic — There's no such thing as too much garlic in this kind of soup, so feel free to add as much as you like.
Herbs — I used a mix of dried oregano, basil and thyme for this soup. You can also use fresh herbs if you have them on hand, or use an Italian seasoning mix instead.
Chickpeas — I always have a couple of cans of chickpeas in the pantry, so I use them for convenience. If you want to make this soup with dried chickpeas, you have to cook them separately first until tender.
Beans — Cannellini beans are perfect in this soup. Alternatives include borlotti beans and pinto beans.
Orzo — I used regular orzo in this veggie soup, but you can also go for wholewheat orzo for a chewy, hearty texture. Make sure you check the directions on the package regarding cooking times.
Lemon — Lemon juice is a key ingredient in this soup because it gives it a bright, punchy finish. For an even more lemony flavor, add some lemon zest, too.
Kale — I love Tuscan kale (cavolo nero) in this soup because it has a wonderful thick texture. You can substitute it with curly kale or even baby spinach, but you won't get the same slightly crunchy texture.
How to make vegetable orzo soup
Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven and cook the onion, carrot and celery for 6-7 minutes over medium heat until softened.
Stir in the garlic, red chili flakes, dried thyme, oregano and basil and continue to cook for another minute.
Next, add the chickpeas, beans, orzo and vegetable stock. Stir to combine, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the orzo is cooked.
Stir in the lemon and kale and simmer for 1-2 minutes until the kale wilts.
Season to taste and serve immediately with your favorite crusty bread if you like.
Leftovers and storage
- Any leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
- Reheat the soup in the microwave or gently on the stovetop. You may need to add some extra veggie stock.
- I don't recommend freezing soup that has orzo init.
Recipe notes and tips
- This orzo vegetable soup is perfect on its own, but you can also serve it with some crusty bread, croutons or your favorite crackers.
- Add some more vegetable stock at the end if it looks like the orzo has soaked up too much of the liquid.
- Make the soup creamy by stirring some plant-based cream when adding the kale.
If you liked this orzo vegetable soup recipe, you might also like some of my other easy vegan soups:
- Vegan Lasagna Soup
- Vegan Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Orzo Soup)
- Quinoa Vegetable Soup with Chickpeas
- Vegan Butternut Squash Kale Soup with Lentils
- Vegan Instant Pot White Bean Soup
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Orzo Vegetable Soup
This quick and easy orzo vegetable soup is delicious and infused with so much flavor! It only takes 30 minutes to make in one pot for a cozy, hearty meal that will warm you up on a chilly day.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 2-3 celery stalks, diced
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup (150 g) orzo
- 6 cups (1.5 liters) vegetable stock
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2 cups (100 g) kale, roughly chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven and cook the onion, carrot and celery for 6-7 minutes over medium heat until softened.
- Stir in the garlic, red chili flakes, dried thyme, oregano and basil and continue to cook for another minute.
- Next, add the chickpeas, beans, orzo and vegetable stock. Stir to combine, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the orzo is cooked.
- Stir in the lemon and kale and simmer for 1-2 minutes until the kale wilts.
- Season to taste and serve immediately with your favorite crusty bread if you like.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 485Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 675mgCarbohydrates: 85gFiber: 17gSugar: 18gProtein: 23g
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.
Linda
Delicious orzo vegetable soup. Quick and nutrious, thank you. Keep your recipes coming. I look forward to your next recipes.
Paris
I'm glad you like them Linda! Thank you very much!
Debbie
So good! Easy to make and can season to your taste. Vegan, yet all ingredients in my kitchen already. Thanks for the recipe.
Paris
Glad you liked it. Thank you too!
Jessie
Delicious! I will add a little more red pepper next time for some extra kick!
Paris
That's a good idea, glad you liked it Jessie!
Dori
This is a very good soup. It was a quick recipe to make
Paris
Glad you liked it Dori!
Elaine
Just got done with it and I love it! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Paris
Thank you too, glad you liked it!
Kim
I came across this recipe and thought dang this looks really good. So I made it. It not only looked good it tastes amazing! This is definitely a recipe I'm keeping. Plan on making it many more times. Thanks for this awesome soup!
Paris
Thank you too Kim, I'm glad you liked it!
Beth
Easy to make and delicious. Made specifically for my vegetarian but the entire family enjoyed this hearty, delicious soup. Thank you.
Paris
Glad you liked it Beth!
Ms TeeJay
Surprisingly delicious. I’m not vegan. I just like trying new recipes. Luv this one! It was easy to make and very filling. I took it for my lunch at work and my coworker wanted the recipe!
Paris
Glad you liked it!
Cyndi
Delicious and hearty. I used rosemary instead of thyme since I thought it would be good with the white beans. Worked well.
Paris
Glad you liked it Cyndi.
Mesha
Hi 👋🏾; question….can broth be used in substitution for the stock. I still don’t quite know what the difference is between to two. Thank you in advance.
Paris
Yes you can, they are mostly the same thing
S. Eckels
Can I freeze this if I don’t add in the orzo until after I thaw and decide to cook it?
Paris
Yes, you can do it.
Robin
This soup absolutely ROCKS! We literally eat it for breakfast! I used pinto beans as my husband is not a fan of cannellini beans. I also added a bit of white miso right before we ate it. SO GOOD!
If I could post a picture I would.
Paris
Glad you liked it Robin.
slyvia
Can I use spinach instead of kale?
Paris
I didnt try it, but why not!:)