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vegetable orzo soup

Vegetable Orzo Soup Recipe

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6 Servings
Course: Soup, Vegetarian
Cuisine: Italian, Vegetarian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup  dry orzo pasta
  • 1 medium  yellow onion diced
  • 3 medium  carrots diced
  • 3 stalks  celery sliced
  • 1 medium  potato diced into small cubes
  • 1 cup  frozen peas
  • 1 cup  frozen or fresh corn kernels
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 3 cloves  garlic
  • 2 tablespoons  olive oil
  • 6 cups  vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon  dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon  smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon  garlic powder
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon  tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon  lemon juice 

Method
 

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook 6–7 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, onion powder, and garlic powder and stir 30 seconds.
  2. Pour in vegetable broth and diced tomatoes with their liquid. Add diced potato and stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook for 10 minutes until potato is starting to soften but not yet fully cooked.
  3. Add dry orzo directly to the simmering soup and stir. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes to prevent sticking. Add frozen peas and corn in the last 3 minutes of cooking.
  4. Squeeze in lemon juice and stir. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. If the soup has thickened too much, add a splash more vegetable broth and stir.
  5. Ladle into bowls. Top with fresh parsley and grated parmesan. Serve with crusty bread alongside

Notes

  • Add potato before orzo — it needs a 10-minute head start to finish at the same time
  • Stir the orzo every few minutes — it sinks and can stick to the bottom
  • Lemon juice added at the end brightens the whole broth — don’t skip it
  • For meal prep: cook orzo separately and stir into individual portions when serving to prevent it absorbing all the broth
  • Add a parmesan rind to the broth while simmering for extra depth — remove before serving
  • Add a can of white beans with the orzo for extra protein
  • Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days — add broth when reheating as orzo absorbs liquid overnight
  • Freezes well for up to 3 months — best frozen before adding orzo