This vegetable orzo soup is a quick and delicious soup that is perfect on a chilly day. Consisting of a hearty mixture of vegetables and orzo pasta in a herby stock that everyone will enjoy.
Well, it’s that time of the year yet again folks. The sun continues to set sooner and sooner. The leaves are starting to change into vibrant colors. Even the breeze is beginning to feel brisk. And like a bear that’s been in hibernation for far too long, I have become restless for the changing of the season.
No, I’m not talking about fall, I’m talking about SOUP SEASON!!!
And what better way to kick it all off than with today’s recipe for vegetable orzo soup.
Trust me you are going to love it! Not only because the whole dish comes together in minutes. But it’s also a great fall soup that is perfectly balanced with a simple yet flavorful broth, light & tender vegetables, and hearty orzo pasta.
So let’s get to it!
Tips, Tricks & Suggestions
- Substitutes for orzo?: Well, you can easily go with other varieties of small pasta (pastina) like acini di pepe, or ditalini. You can also swap out the orzo pasta with rice instead which will make the dish gluten-free if that’s a concern for you. Just keep in mind if you use brown rice it will need to cook in the soup for much longer, around 30 minutes.
- Change up the vegetables: You can also easily add or swap out the vegetables used in this soup. For example, broccoli, bell peppers, cauliflower, and peas, all make great additions to this soup. Similarly, you can swap out the spinach with other leafy greens like chard, collard greens, or kale. So feel free to use what you like or have on hand.
- Adding protein: As someone that has gotten into strength training over the past couple of years, I know the importance of adding protein to meals. And luckily you can easily add some to this soup. Some of my favorite ways to do this include adding pulled chicken breast, or chunks of cooked sausage. Just make sure to cook the meat beforehand and add it at least 10 minutes before the soup is finished so that it heats through.
- The soup the next day: This soup will still be great the next day or two after you first make it. BUT since it uses pasta there is one thing you need to keep in mind. You see, as the pasta sits in the soup it will continue to soak up the liquid and enlargen. And if it’s left to do this overnight it can sometimes soak up all of the liquid leaving you with a very thick porridge like substance. But don’t worry the soup will still taste great and all you need to do to thin it back out again is to simply add some water or even stock. Just add a little by little and stir it into the soup until it is the consistency that you like.
- What to serve this soup with?: This soup is pretty hearty, so I prefer to serve it by itself or with a small salad. That being said it’s also great with some crusty bread to help mop up all of the delicious broth.
Other Vegetarian Soup Recipes You Might Enjoy
Vegetable Orzo Soup Recipe
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 Small onion, medium dice
1 Stalk of celery, medium dice
1 Medium carrot, medium dice
3 Cloves of garlic, minced
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
½ Cup of dry white wine
4 Cups of stock (either vegetable or chicken)
2 Cups of water
1 14.5 oz. can of tomatoes (diced or crushed)
1 14.5 oz. can of cannellini beans (drained & washed)
1 Small yellow squash or zuchinni, cut into chunks
1 Teaspoon of Italian seasoning
½ Teaspoon of salt & pepper, plus more to taste
¾ Cup of uncooked orzo pasta
2 Cups of spinach
Juice from one lemon (optional)
Instructions
- Sautee the vegetables: Pour the 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a medium-sized pot. Place this over medium-high heat and toss in the onion, celery, and carrots. Sautee these vegetables for 5 minutes or until the onions begin to soften and become translucent.
Add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Continue to sautee everything for another minute.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine and let it simmer & reduce for a minute or two.
- Add the stock to the pot along with 2 cups of water. Stir everything together, and let the liquid come to a simmer.
- Add the tomatoes, beans, squash, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the pot. Stir everything together and let this continue to simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes.
- Cook the orzo: Add the uncooked orzo to the pot and stir to combine it with everything. Let the orzo cook for roughly 10 minutes, stirring the pot every couple of minutes or so. After 10 minutes taste the orzo, it should be al dente. However, if you’d like for it to be softer simply cook it for an additional 2 to 4 minutes.
- Add spinach: Toss the spinach into the pot and stir for a minute or until the spinach wilts.
- Add the optional lemon juice and stir to combine. Finally taste and adjust the soup with additional salt and pepper until it is to your liking.
- Serve the vegetable orzo soup into individual bowls and enjoy!
Vegetable Orzo Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 Small onion medium dice
- 1 Stalk of celery medium dice
- 1 Medium carrot medium dice
- 3 Cloves of garlic minced
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes optional
- ½ Cup of dry white wine
- 4 Cups of stock either vegetable or chicken
- 2 Cups of water
- 1 14.5 oz. can of tomatoes diced or crushed
- 1 14.5 oz. can of cannellini beans drained & washed
- 1 Small yellow squash or zuchinni cut into chunks
- 1 Teaspoon of Italian seasoning
- ½ Teaspoon of salt & pepper plus more to taste
- ¾ Cup of uncooked orzo pasta
- 2 Cups of spinach
- Juice from one lemon optional
Instructions
- Sautee the vegetables: Pour the 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a medium-sized pot. Place this over medium-high heat and toss in the onion, celery, and carrots. Sautee these vegetables for 5 minutes or until the onions begin to soften and become translucent. Add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Continue to sautee everything for another minute.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine and let it simmer & reduce for a minute or two.
- Add the stock to the pot along with 2 cups of water. Stir everything together, and let the liquid come to a simmer.
- Add the tomatoes, beans, squash, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the pot. Stir everything together and let this continue to simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes.
- Cook the orzo: Add the uncooked orzo to the pot and stir to combine it with everything. Let the orzo cook for roughly 10 minutes, stirring the pot every couple of minutes or so. After 10 minutes taste the orzo, it should be al dente. However, if you’d like for it to be softer simply cook it for an additional 2 to 4 minutes.
- Add spinach: Toss the spinach into the pot and stir for a minute or until the spinach wilts.
- Add the optional lemon juice and stir to combine. Finally taste and adjust the soup with additional salt and pepper until it is to your liking.
- Serve the vegetable orzo soup into individual bowls and enjoy!
