This quick 30-minute meal will have everyone coming back for seconds! Vegetable Orzo Soup a delicious and easy meal. The flavors come together in a snap and it's a healthy soup packed full of flavor!
There's nothing better than a great soup like this Potato Soup Recipe, it's one of our favorites!
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Why you'll love this recipe
✔️ This soup is packed full of bright fresh vegetables like spinach, celery, carrots & onions.
✔️ In less than thirty minutes your meal complete and you are ready for dinner! Who is hungry?!!
✔️ And the best part? It tastes even better on day two! Love that!
Ingredients
You'll only need a handful of simple ingredients. For the exact measurements, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- carrots
- celery
- onion
- handfuls of fresh baby spinach
- garlic
- fire roasted tomatoes
- uncooked orzo pasta, whole wheat orzo or any other small pasta
- Vegetable broth or chicken broth, low sodium broths are also an option. Use whichever you'd prefer.
- dry Italian seasoning
- lemon and fresh parsley optional
You'll love this easy to make soup! It's filled with fresh ingredients and the perfect way enjoy your vegetables! It's such a satisfying meal.
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. For the complete directions just scroll down to the bottom!
- Dice the carrots, celery & onion into bite-sized pieces.
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, carrots, celery, onion and the spices.
- Sauté for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add in the garlic & sauté for about another minute, until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Chop the spinach, add it to the soup pot.
- Next add the pasta and give everything a good stir. Pour in the tomatoes, stock and water.
- Increase the heat to high and stir well to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium, stirring often until the orzo is cooked to al dente.
- When the orzo is cooked, remove the soup from the heat. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and about a tablespoon of chopped parsley for bright fresh flavor.
Equipment
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FAQ's
Though it looks like rice, orzo is actually a pasta shaped like a grain of rice. Orzo is a wheat-based pasta and can be eaten alone or served up in a soup or salad.
Although it has about the same carbohydrate count as rice, orzo offers nearly twice as much protein as brown rice. Both are low in fat.
It does, this soup freezes terrific and makes for an easy meal when you don't feel like cooking. It will keep in the refrigerator for three days.
Variations
If you are looking to add more protein to your meal, garbanzo beans or cannellini beans would be a great addition to the vegetable orzo soup!
Add almost any combination of your favorite vegetables. Extra vegetables only make it better! Green beans, red bell pepper, spinach or kale would be lovely!
You can also add chicken breasts chopped into bite-sized pieces or Italian sausage - that would be delicious!
This is one of my favorite soup recipes and a great way to add a ton of veggies to your diet! (Without anyone turning up their nose!)
Tips
Peel the carrots and dice them along with the onions. Chopping the vegetables a uniform size will ensure everything cooks in about the same amount of time.
Dicing them uniformly not only allows them to cook evenly, when the soup is done, everything fits fit easily onto a soup spoon. If you want all of my soup tips and tricks to make the BEST homemade soup, click here!
Because this stew cooks so quickly the vegetables still have a bit of a crunch, giving it great texture. Finishing the soup with a squeeze of lemon and bit of chopped parsley keeps the flavors bright and fresh.
Storage
Refrigerate - Store in an airtight container. This will keep in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
Freeze - Store in an airtight container, you can freeze this soup up to three months.
Reheat - thaw in the refrigerator overnight. This can be reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Related recipes
I bet you're hungry for more delicious soup recipes, right? Here are some of my favorite soups!
- Tomato Soup - classic and delicious, this creamy soup is rich. It's packed with vegetables, you'll love it I'm sure!
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup - This soup is pure comfort food - bursting with bright lemony flavor, it is full of vegetables, tender orzo pasta and hearty chunks of chicken.
- Vegetarian Asparagus Soup - this guilt-free soup is rich, delicious, and easy to make!
- I bet you'll love this Alphabet Soup Recipe! Be sure to spell out your name with the pasta!
- 15 Bean Soup with Ham - this classic bean soup is rich and filling. It's easy to make and leftovers freeze great. This is one terrific meal!
Serve with
This is such a lovely soup and you're going to really love this meal!
If you're looking to prepare a complete dinner here is what you can serve with this yummy soup!
- Start off the meal with this tangy green onion dip and some vegetables and chips for dippers! It would be such a delicious combination!
- Serve a salad along with it, like this spinach garbanzo salad. It has loads of crunch and freshness.
- And don't forget the fresh dinner rolls alongside. YUM!
- Double Chocolate Cherry Brownies are perfect for dessert!
Vegetable Orzo Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 medium onion yellow onion
- 8 cups spinach
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- ½ tablespoon lemon (optional)
- 1 tablespoon parsley minced (optional)
Instructions
- Dice the carrots, celery & onion. Heat a large Dutch Oven over medium heat. When it is good & hot, add the olive oil.
- Then add the carrots, celery, onion and the spices - Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
- Sauté for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. Add in the garlic & sauté for about another minute, until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Run your knife thru the spinach a couple times, chopping it into bite sized pieces. Add it to the soup pot.
- Next add the pasta and give everything a good stir, scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen the brown bits. Pour in the tomatoes, stock and water.
- Increase the heat to high and stir well to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium - you'll still want to keep it a light bubble and cook until the orzo is cooked thru - about 8-9 minutes.
- Continue to stir the soup often. The orzo has a tendency to stick to the bottom of the pan. In addition, stirring it will release the starches in the pasta and help to thicken the soup.
- When the orzo is cooked, remove the soup from the heat. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and about a tablespoon of chopped parsley for bright fresh flavor.
Notes
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Nutrition
Recipe backstory
Dan and I have been traveling a lot. In May we were in New Mexico and Colorado. June took me to San Francisco, last weekend we were in Sacramento, with more travel planned before summer is complete!
Eating out has become a "thing"!! I told Dan on the way home from Sac Town I think it's time for some of Deb's home cooking and he agreed. And even though it's hot, we both enjoy soup.
Which is great because it's a terrific meal we can enjoy that is pretty much guilt free like this orzo pasta soup!
So even though the weather is hot, hot, hot, soup is on the menu tonight. Bonus? It is so easy and takes only thirty minutes to make! Delicious choice, right?
I hope you enjoy this meal because soup is good food! 😋 What's your favorite soup? Please take a moment and hit reply or comment below!
If you make this soup be sure to tag me on Instagram @bowl_me_over or using the hashtag #bowlmeover!! If you've tried this, I've love it if you would leave a comment below, enjoy!!!
First published July 5, 2018 - Last updated October 15, 2021
Diane says
Thank you for sharing this recipe ❤️It is great, a real keeper. Used brown rice and added chickpeas.
Debra Clark says
You're so welcome Diane! Those variations sound fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Sunny Drohan says
Haven’t made this one yet. Would it be ok to use red lentils to this soup and zucchini? Maybe some canned Great Northern Beans as well.
Bowl Me Over says
Yes, the red lentils would be great additions Sunny. Just make sure you have enough liquid for the red lentils to cook in the soup (unless you're cooking them separately). Diced zucchini and canned beans are also terrific in the soup. Enjoy!
Jan Hanlon says
I made this recipe today and it was absolutely delicious. I increased the carrots to l pound and added additional celery. No need to chop the spinach as it cooks/shrivels immediately. This is the first time I have used Orzo and it is a wonderful addition. I will certainly add orzo to other soups in the future. I also added 1 pound of cooked hamburger to the finished soup. Recipe is delicious without hamburger, but we liked the additional flavor of the hamburger. This recipe is a "Keeper".
Bowl Me Over says
Awesome Jan thanks so much for taking the time to come back and comment, I really appreciate!! That soup is definitely a winner and so easy to make! I appreciate your support of the blog!
Camille says
Hi! I have made the recipe four times now I think. I haven’t ever been able to find orzo (oops) so I’ve been substituting other pastas.
Wanted to comment, though, because I believe the quantity for the spinach was meant to be 8 oz not 8 cups ?
Bowl Me Over says
I'm glad you are enjoying this soup Camille, it's such a wonderful combination of flavors. I can't believe you can't find orzo, it's one of my fav pastas! For this soup... I stuff it with spinach, but I hear you - less can be more sometimes, that totally works for me!
Heather Gallagher says
This sounds so amazing - I love a good veggie soup but I almost never put noodles in - why didn't I think of this? DELISH!
Bowl Me Over says
I hear ya Heather! Adding the orzo keeps it noodley (is that a word? 😀 ) without the heavy noodles! I hope you enjoy this soup.
Jennifer A Stewart says
You're like me I love a squeeze of lemon and parsley in my soup! This is a great soup and I love the orzo instead of regular rice. Can't wait to add this to my soup rotations!
Bowl Me Over says
That squeeze of lemon & dusting of parsley makes all the difference, huh Jennifer? Love that bright fresh flavor!! Thanks for stopping by!!!
Michelle says
This is definitely my kind of soup! Our farmer's market is still going through early spring, so I'm going to try to make this with farmer's market veggies!
Bowl Me Over says
I love our Farmer's Market - it's always fun to plan my weekly meals around the offerings. Nothing tastes better than fresh! I hope you really enjoy this soup Michelle!
Sandra Shaffer says
It's raining outside which always makes me crave soup, and this one comes together so quickly! Love those fire roasted tomatoes that you added.
Bowl Me Over says
Thanks Sandra! Even though the tomatoes are canned they really give it a slow cooked flavor. I love those little shortcuts!
Michaela Kenkel says
So hearty and delicious!! Somebody hand me a spoon!
Bowl Me Over says
One order coming up, enjoy Michaela! 😀
Platter Talk says
Healthy, warm and delicious. And...CONVENIENT! Sign. Me. Up!!! Great job with this bowl of deliciousness!
Bowl Me Over says
Thank you so much Platter Talk - I appreciate you stopping by!
justine says
looks wonderful!
Bowl Me Over says
Thank you!
Jenny | Honey and Birch says
Mmm... I love orzo in soup! Sounds delicious.
Bowl Me Over says
Thanks Jenny, we just love this soup!!
Lisa@Lisa's Dinnertime Dish says
I love quick and easy soups! This one sounds like it's full of delicious flavor!
Bowl Me Over says
Thanks Lisa, I love having a go-to soup recipe for these cool days, perfect for fall!!
Angela says
Hearty, veggie packed and I do love orzo in soups! Wonderful recipe!!
Bowl Me Over says
Thanks Angela - love that yummy veggie punch! 😀
Debi at Life Currents says
This sounds great! Maybe even for dinner tonight! Yum!
Bowl Me Over says
You know that's one reason I really like this meal - most of the ingredients you already have on hand, love that!
Julie says
I can eat soup year around and am always looking for new soup ideas. This recipe sounds delicious!
Bowl Me Over says
Awesome Julie, I hope you really enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by.
Mary Jones says
After watching you make risotto several weeks ago, I tried it tonight and it was fabulous! Creamy, tasty, absolutely loved it and so easy to make. Thanks Super Chef Deb.
Bowl Me Over says
Hey that's terrific Mary, I'm so happy you gave it a try and enjoyed it so much. I love risotto, such an easy meal!! Thank you for stopping by and letting me know!
Healing Tomato says
I love a good orzo soup recipe. Orzo works so great with veggies, doesn't it? this recipe looks so comforting. Wish I had a bowl of it in front of me right now.
Bowl Me Over says
Thanks Rini, I'm proud of this soup, often times orzo includes cream and this is just so delicious w/out the cream!
Michelle says
Love this orzo soup. It's my Italian family's pasta go to in bean soups too. Delish. Just made it for lunch.
Bowl Me Over says
I'm thrilled that you've already tried this Michelle - we just love this soup. It gets better as it sits too. I've never had orzo in a bean soup - now I have a new idea - thank you! 😀 And thank you for letting me know what you thought of this recipe!