Vegetable Orzo Soup Recipe -

Orzo pasta in tomato soup with vegetables

Vegetable Orzo Soup Recipe

Vegetable Orzo Soup is a tasty and filling soup. Perfect for chilly days, this soup is packed with veggies, spinach and orzo. Great for dinner or lunch.

Course Soup

Cuisine Fusion

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 183kcal

Author Michelle Alston

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion (145g) finely chopped
2 stalks of celery finely chopped
2 medium carrots peeled then finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic minced or put through a garlic press
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried coriander
⅛ teaspoon of dried red chilli flakes
1 medium red bell pepper pith and seeds removed, then chopped into smallish chunks
1 medium yellow bell pepper pith and seeds removed, then chopped into smallish chunks
1 14.5oz can of / 1 x 400g can diced/chopped tomatoes + ¼ cup of water to catch any tomatoes left in the can
½ cup of orzo (100g) dry weight
5 cups of /1 litre of low sodium vegetable stock made with 2 vegan vegetable stock cubes
3 cups / 60g of baby spinach
½ teaspoon salt + a pinch for adding to the onions at the beginning of cooking
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper + more for serving
The juice of half a lemon

Instructions

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large heavy-based saucepan. Add the chopped onion, carrot celery and a pinch of salt.
Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring often. The onion should be soft.
Add three minced cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, half a teaspoon of dried coriander adn a pinch of red chilli flakes to the pan then cook for about a minute.
Add the chopped red bell peppers then stir well.
Pour 1 can of chopped/diced tomatoes into the pan. Add about a quarter cup of water to the can and give it a swirl to catch any remaining tomatoes. Pour the water into the pan also.
Pour the stock into the pan and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Simmer for 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add the orzo to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes stirring all the time.
Once the orzo is al dente turn off the heat then stir in the spinach and the lemon juice.
Leave to cool slightly before serving.

Notes

Onions - I use red onion to make this soup. I have made it with yellow onion with similar results.
Sweating the veggies - if you can try and sweat the onion, carrot and celery for at least 15 minutes. I have made this soup without doing this and the result was just not the same.
Orzo - Resist the temptation to add more orzo! I have tested this recipe with 1 cup and 1 + ½ a cup of dry orzo and both were way too much and the result was not a soup. Half a cup or 100g is the perfect amount.
Stirring - It is really important to stir the soup as much as you can once you add the orzo. The dry orzo will sink to the bottom of the soup and will stick to the bottom of the pan if you don't stir it.
Can I make this gluten-free? You will have to switch the orzo to gluten-free pasta and make sure the stock you use is gluten-free.
Nutritional Information - all nutritional information shared is an estimate based on third-party calculations. If calorie count and/or nutritional values are important to you, we recommend putting the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary depending on which brands were used. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible for the best results.

Nutrition