Soup

Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup

Vegetable Orzo Soup – this hearty vegan soup is packed with vegetables and yumminess! A filling, frugal and delicious recipe that can be customized to include your favorite veggies

  • Serves 6
  • Prep 10 minutes
  • Cook 30 minutes
  • Total 40 minutes
Jump to the recipe
Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup

Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup – this hearty vegan soup is packed with vegetables and yumminess! A filling, frugal and delicious recipe that can be customized to include your favorite veggies.

Serve this orzo vegetable soup with a slice of Sourdough Bread

Orzo lover? Who me? 🙂 Ok, you got me. I LOVE using orzo in my recipes! I always have a stash of orzo pasta in my pantry and I love using it in one-pot recipes and soups. Orzo is the perfect pasta size to add to soups – small enough to fit on a loaded spoon and a great way to pad out a dish.

This veggie orzo soup is vegetarian / vegan and a great way to add a variety of vegetables and legumes into your diet.

It is so hearty it stands as a meal on its own and you can add whatever seasonal vegetables you have on hand.

close up on vegetable soup with orzo

Vegetable Soup with Orzo Ingredients

I wanted a soup that has a bit of a kick and this one packs on the flavor! Here’s what you will need to make it.

  • Olive oil
  • Onions, celery and carrots make the backbone of this soup
  • Ground turmeric, garlic granules, chili flakes, salt and pepper
  • Tomato purée (paste) for a bit of color (optional – I skipped it in the video)
  • Freshly grated ginger
  • Butternut squash
  • Chickpeas or navy beans / haricot beans
  • Vegetable stock / broth
  • Lemon juice – to taste!
  • Orzo
  • Bay leaves
  • Fresh parsley
  • a couple of dashes of Tabasco

How to Make Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup

↓ For the full ingredients and detailed method, jump to the recipe card.

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot (I used my fave GreenPan casserole) and add the onions, celery and carrots. Cook, stirring, over low heat until the vegetables have softened, 5-7 minutes.
cooking onions, celery and carrots in a pot
  1. Stir in the tomato paste if using. Add the butternut squash, chickpeas / beans, ginger, salt, seasonings and bay leaves.
Cooking orzo vegetable soup in a pot
  1. Pour in stock and bring to a rolling simmer. Lower the heat to a simmer, partially cover the pot and cook for about 20 minutes or until the squash is almost cooked through. Stir in the orzo and continue to simmer for another 8-10 minutes or until al dente.
Vegetable orzo soup simmering in a large pot
  1. Stir in the lemon juice and half of the chopped parsley. Discard the bay leaves and have a taste, adjusting as needed. Serve and enjoy!
three bowls of Vegetable Orzo soup with slice of bread on the side

Recipe Notes

  • IS ORZO GLUTEN-FREE? Orzo may resemble rice but it is a type of pasta and therefore contains gluten. Orzo is a type of “pastina” (small pasta) and while I haven’t found a gluten-free version there are lots of small pasta shapes that are.
  • This recipe is vegan as written. If you like adding grated Parmesan to your soups then it is vegetarian provided the Parmesan is renet-free or swap it for Pecorino Romano cheese. I don’t think cheese really goes in this orzo soup but you do you!
  • Orzo absorbs water and swells, drinking up all the liquid in the soup. You might need to add hot water to thin the soup as needed. If you would like to freeze the soup you can always leave the orzo out and simply add it when reheating.
Overhead view of scalloped bowl of vegetarian orzo soup

Take a Look at My Other Orzo Recipes

HAVE YOU MADE MY LEMON CHICKPEA ORZO SOUP RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram with @supergolden88 and the tag #Nusde and make my day! If you have any questions, send me a DM on Instagram and I will do my best to reply quickly.

You might also like my Miso, Kale and Tofu Soup.

Recipe

Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup

Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup– this hearty vegan soup is packed with vegetables and yumminess! A filling, frugal and delicious recipe that can be customized to include your favorite veggies.

  • Serves 6
  • Prep 10 minutes
  • Cook 30 minutes
  • Total 40 minutes

Ingredients

For the soup

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 onions (finely diced)
  • 3 celery ribs (finely diced, include leaves if any)
  • 3 carrots (peeled and finely diced)
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste ((optional))
  • ½ butternut squash (peeled and cubed)
  • 14 oz (400g) chickpeas (or beans, drained and rinsed)
  • 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp garlic granules
  • ½ tsp sweet paprika
  • ½ red pepper flakes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 8 cups (1.8 lt) vegetable broth / stock (or as needed)
  • 1 ½ cups (235g) orzo
  • small bunch parsley (finely chopped)
  • salt and pepper (to season)

Optional additions

  • 2 cups (60g) spinach (finely chopped)
  • 1 zucchini ((= courgette), cubed)
  • 1 red bell pepper (diced)
  • Tabasco (to taste)

Method

  1. 1

    Heat the olive oil in a large pot and add the onions, celery and carrots. Cook, stirring, over low heat until the vegetables have softened, 5-7 minutes. (Add the pepper also, if using)

  2. 2

    Stir in the tomato paste if using. Add the butternut squash, chickpeas / beans, ginger, salt, seasonings and bay leaves.

  3. 3

    Pour in the broth and bring to a rolling simmer. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer, partially cover the pot and cook for about 20 minutes or until the squash is almost cooked through.

  4. 4

    Stir in the orzo and continue to simmer for another 8-10 minutes or until al dente. If you are adding zucchini you can stir it in now.

  5. 5

    Stir in the lemon juice and half of the chopped parsley. Add the spinach if using and let it wilt in the warm soup.

  6. 6

    Discard the bay leaves and have a taste, adding salt, pepper, Tabasco and more lemon juice as needed. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

IS ORZO GLUTEN-FREE? Orzo is a type of “pastina” (small pasta) and while I haven’t found a gluten-free version there are lots of small pasta shapes that are. This recipe is vegan as written. If you like adding grated Parmesan to your soups then it is vegetarian provided the Parmesan is renet-free or swap it for Pecorino Romano cheese. I don’t think cheese really goes in this orzo soup but you do you! Orzo absorbs water and swells, drinking up all the liquid in the soup. You might need to add hot water to thin the soup as needed. If you would like to freeze the soup you can always leave the orzo out and simply add it when reheating. The soup will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge. Add water as needed when reheating.

Equipment

  • GreenPan Cassrole
  • Oxo Peeler
  • Victorinox Knives

Nutrition

  • Calories338 kcal
  • Carbohydrates63 g
  • Protein12 g
  • Fat5 g
  • Saturated Fat1 g
  • Polyunsaturated Fat1 g
  • Monounsaturated Fat3 g
  • Sodium2361 mg
  • Potassium802 mg
  • Fiber8 g
  • Sugar10 g
  • Vitamin A13201 IU
  • Vitamin C50 mg
  • Calcium97 mg
  • Iron3 mg

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