This vegan orzo soup is full of hearty vegetables. It’s packed with bright, zesty flavors that are Italian inspired. Make this cozy and delicious soup in less than 30 minutes.
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- About The Vegan Orzo Soup Recipe
- What Ingredients Are Used to Make Vegan Orzo Soup
- How to Make Vegan Orzo Soup
- Is The Soup Healthy?
- How to Store and Reheat Vegan Orzo Soup
- Can I Use Rice Instead of Orzo?
- Can I Use Other Vegetables In This Soup?
- Looking for More Healthy Meals Like This One?
- Vegan Orzo Soup with Fire Roasted Tomatoes
About The Vegan Orzo Soup Recipe
- This soup is quick and easy to make, put it together in less than 30 minutes. Prepping the vegetables is the most time consuming.
- All ingredients are completely vegan. It’s dairy free and meat free. Whole foods are used to make this so the whole recipe is packed with vitamins and minerals.
- Fire roasted flavors are found all throughout this soup. First, this comes from the fire roasted tomatoes and the red bell peppers are broiled until blackened and then added to the soup. This makes the soup broth rich and flavorful.
- All you need to make this is a knife and cutting board, a large pot for cooking the soup, and a baking pan for broiling the red pepper.
What Ingredients Are Used to Make Vegan Orzo Soup
Mirepoix - this is a cooking term for onion, carrot, and celery. It’s the base of this delicious flavorful soup.
Garlic - there’s a lot of garlic used in this recipe. We use a total of 5 cloves, minced.
Fire Roasted Tomatoes - instead of using regular regular diced tomatoes, opt for fire roasted in this recipe for added flavor
Italian Seasoning - this is a blend of basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram. Instead of measuring our each of these ingredients individually, use italian seasoning as a quick and convenient alternative.
Red Bell Pepper - broiled in the oven until blackened, then it’s sliced and added to the soup. Charring the pepper brings that fire roasted flavor that makes it so good.
Vegetable Broth - store-bought or make your own by boiling vegetable scraps with water and salt
Orzo - rice can be substituted as a gluten free option
Spinach - use fresh during the last few minutes of cooking, kale can be substituted
Basil - sliced then added to the soup and garnished over top upon serving.
How to Make Vegan Orzo Soup
Step 1: Heat a large pot over medium heat with olive oil. Once heated, add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion starts to become translucent. Add the carrots and celery. Cook for a few minutes until the celery starts to soften. Then, stir in the canned tomatoes and let cook for a few minutes.
Step 2: While the veggies are cooking, slice the red bell peppers in half removing the seeds. Place on a foiled baking sheet, cut side down, and place in the oven near the top burner and turn the broil setting on high. Let the red pepper blacken. This should take about 5-7 minutes. Keep a close eye on it. Be sure that the pepper is not too close to the burner. Once the red pepper is blackened, chop and add to the pot with the veggies.
Step 3: To the pot, add seasoned salt, pepper, italian seasoning, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the orzo and cook for 9 minutes. During the last 3-4 minutes of cooking, add spinach and some chopped basil. Stir until the spinach has wilted. Serve warm and garnish with more basil.
Is The Soup Healthy?
This soup is very healthy and low calorie too. There are about 150 calories per serving in this recipe. It also includes protein, iron, calcium, potassium, and more vitamins and minerals. If you’re looking for a weight loss soup, this is a great option because it makes you feel full without all the calories.
While this vegan orzo soup is already healthy, you can make it even more healthy by using whole grain orzo instead. While slightly higher in calories, whole grain orzo adds more nutritional value and fiber. If you’re able to find it, use that instead.
Many times soups are notorious for being high in sodium. This really creeps up if you’re using salted broth and if you’re adding a pinch of salt as your veggies sauté. If you’re sensitive to sodium, I recommend that you use a low sodium vegetable broth instead and avoid adding any extra salt. Alternatively you could use an unsalted vegetable broth and add salt as needed.
How to Store and Reheat Vegan Orzo Soup
Store the vegan orzo soup in a sealed container and keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. Reheat by placing in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stir and repeat until heated through.
If you’re interested in freezing the soup, be careful. Freezing the soup with the orzo can cause the orzo to become mushy and weird. If you want to make this ahead of time you can but freeze the soup, not the orzo.
When you’re ready to cook, let the soup thaw in the refrigerator completely. Place in a pot, bring to a boil, cook the orzo according to the directions and then serve warm.
Can I Use Rice Instead of Orzo?
Using rice instead of orzo is a great alternative, especially if you’re on a gluten free diet or just have sensitivity to gluten. Rice and orzo have a very similar texture. The biggest difference between the two is that orzo is typically made from a semolina flour while rice is not.
The cook time between rice and orzo depends on the type of rice you’re using. For an easy substitute I recommend jasmine or long grain rice. If you’re substituting jasmine either rice for orzo bring the soup to a boil, add the rice, and boil for 12-15 minutes. The cook time is slightly longer than orzo so be mindful of that when cooking.
Can I Use Other Vegetables In This Soup?
Something great about the recipe is how versatile it is. Consider making this and adjusting the ingredients based on the season you’re making it. Using seasonal ingredients is the best option for maximizing flavor and nutrition from the veggies you use. Below are some suggestions on the types of veggies that can be added to the soup.
Spring/Summer
- Spinach or Kale
- Zucchini
- Yellow squash
- Bell peppers
Fall/Winter
- Potatoes
- Broccoli
- Parsnips
- Cauliflower
When adding other vegetables to this vegan orzo soup, be mindful of the cook times. Each vegetables cooks differently. For example, zucchini and yellow squash don’t take quite as long so I probably wouldn’t add those right at the beginning since I like mine to have a little bit of a bite. Use your own discretion when adding other veggies to the vegan orzo soup.
Don’t limit yourself with this recipe. Consider adding chickpeas or freshly squeezed lemon juice to the soup for added brightness and for extra zest. Chickpea orzo soup and lemon orzo soup is very popular, consider adding these ingredients if you have them on hand.
Looking for More Healthy Meals Like This One?
Vegan Orzo Soup with Fire Roasted Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning
- 1 red bell pepper
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup orzo
- 1-2 handfuls of spinach
- 2 tablespoons sliced basil ribbons
Instructions
- In a large pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion starts to become translucent. About 3 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and continue cooking for an additional 3-5 minutes. Once your carrots and celery have started to soften, add fire roasted tomatoes and italian seasoning. Cook until bubbly for about 3 additional minutes.
- While your vegetables are cooking broil your red bell pepper in the oven. Slice your bell pepper in half and place on a baking sheet covered in foil. Make sure your bell pepper is sliced side down. Place in the oven and broil on high for 5-7 minutes or until blackened. The cook time will depend on how close your bell pepper is to the top burner. Keep an eye on it. Once your bell pepper is charred remove and chop into small pieces.
- To the pot, add your blackened bell pepper, pinch of salt and pepper, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Once boiling add the orzo and bring back to a boil and cook for 9 minutes. During the last 3-4 minutes add spinach and stir until wilted. Once your orzo is done cooking, remove from the heat and let cool. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately with basil ribbons to garnish.
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