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    Home » Soup and Stew » Vegetable Orzo Soup

    Vegetable Orzo Soup

    August 19, 2019

    749 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This vegetable orzo soup recipe is packed with vegetables and flavor. Mushrooms, carrots, ginger, garlic, lemon and more, this is the perfect comforting soup when you’re feeling sick or just want a hearty vegetable soup!

    overhead photo of soup pot with vegetable orzo soup surrounded by bread, lemons, parsley and spoon

    Ingredients

    vegetable orzo soup ingredients laying out on a cutting board

    The ingredients in this vegetable orzo soup are mostly pantry staples and common vegetables most have on hand. When it comes to soups, flavor is always #1 on my list of priorities. I love using bouillon to add umami to a dish. Umami is said to be the 5th category of taste (sweet, sour, salty, bitter) and is so important in soup! The cubes are always good, but I have to tell you the ‘Better Than Bouillon’ paste is SO good!

    Vegetable Prep

    two carrots, 6 cloves garlic, knob of ginger, mushrooms, and onion on cutting board

    I chopped baby bella mushrooms and yellow onion. Next I peeled two carrots, garlic, and ginger. One of my favorite hacks for peeling ginger is using a spoon. This allows you to quickly peel the ginger and get into those crevices, without losing the good stuff inside.

    4 bowls on a wooden chopping board. Grated carrot, grated ginger and garlic, minced mushroom, and onion.

    I grated the carrots, garlic, and ginger using a microplane. Why grate the vegetables? It not only gives the soup great texture/body, but all the ingredients blend together more seamlessly in the soup. It’s also a great arm workout!

    Cooking the soup

    mushroom and onion base for vegetable orzo soup

    I soften the onions first in some olive oil, then I add in the mushrooms. Resist the urge to add more olive oil to the mushrooms. When cooked, mushrooms release liquid. Allow them to sweat it out then the liquids will evaporate with the heat of the pan, allowing the mushrooms to crisp up.

    overhead shot of carrot, mushrooms, and onion in a dutch oven

    After, add the carrots and then comes the lemon. I love the bright note lemon adds to soups. I start with two lemons, you can add more later depending on your taste preference.

    Next the broth. You can use chicken broth or vegetable broth . Make note that depending on what type of broth you use, will influence the color of this soup. When I use chicken broth it turns out more clear, but when I use vegetable broth it is more orange.

    Orzo

    package of orzo

    I always say if rice and pasta had a baby, it would be orzo. I love using orzo, it is so versatile. One of my most popular recipes on the site utilizes orzo, my greek orzo pasta salad.

    overhead shot of vegetable orzo soup

    I actually cook my orzo in the soup, instead of separately. It soaks up all of the flavors that we developed with the base. Because we are cooking it in the soup, I use extra broth to allow for the orzo to soak some up. Bring the broth to a boil and add in the orzo. Lower to simmer and cover for 20 minutes to cook the pasta and develop flavor. After 3 minutes, run your spoon on the bottom of the pot in case the orzo get stuck.

    Finishing the soup

    dutch oven pot with vegetable orzo soup being lifted out with a ladle spoon

    After simmering the vegetable orzo soup for 20 minutes, add in freshly chopped parsley. This is the perfect time to taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary, you can add more fresh ground black pepper, lemon, or salt.

    pot with vegetable orzo soup next to bowl filled with soup and bread, herbs, and lemons in background

    Ladle the soup into bowls and enjoy! I serve with either sliced french baguette or soup crackers! I hope you enjoy this comforting bowl of vegetable orzo soup.

    overhead photo of soup pot with vegetable orzo soup surrounded by bread, lemons, parsley and spoon

    Love soup? Try one of these recipes:

    • Chicken Noodle Soup
    • Hot Italian Sausage White Bean Soup
    • Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup
    • Vegan Mushroom Soup

    Made this recipe and loved it? Leave a star rating below!

    dutch oven pot with vegetable orzo soup being lifted out with a ladle spoon

    Vegetable Orzo Soup

    This orzo soup is packed with vegetables and flavor. With notes of citrus, this is the perfect bowl of comfort.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Soup and Stew
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: orzo, soup, vegetable orzo soup
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 4 -6 servings
    Calories: 431kcal
    Author: Stephanie

    Equipment

    • Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven 
    • Citrus Juicer
    • Microplane
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 4 tablespoons olive oil
    • ½ yellow or white onion chopped (½ cup)
    • 2 medium carrots grated (about ¾ cup)
    • 1 inch ginger peeled & grated
    • 6 cloves garlic grated
    • 1 ½ cups chopped baby portabella mushrooms
    • 2 lemons juiced (can add another lemon later to taste)
    • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 2 ½ quarts low sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth see note
    • 2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon paste or 2 bouillon cubes
    • 8 ounces orzo
    • ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
    • Kosher salt to taste
    • Serve with: sliced baguette or soup crackers

    Instructions

    • In a large dutch oven or soup pot, over medium heat, add 2 tbsp of olive oil and diced onion. Sauté for 3 minutes until it begins to soften. Add in the chopped mushrooms, freshly ground black pepper, thyme, and oregano. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until mushrooms have released juices and they have begun to cook off. Add in the garlic, ginger, and grated carrots and sauté for two additional minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
    • Squeeze the juice of two lemons into the pot, then add in the 2 ½ quarts of broth. Turn the heat to medium/high and add in the bouillon. Once boiling, add in the orzo pasta and lower the heat to simmer. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes (after a few minutes run your spoon on the bottom of the pot to loosen any orzo that might have stuck).
    • After 20 minutes of simmering, add in the chopped parsley, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (lemon, pepper, kosher salt). Serve with sliced baguette or soup crackers.

    Notes

    • Color of soup will vary with type of broth you use. Some vegetable broth’s are carrot based so broth will be more orange. If using chicken broth, soup will be more clear.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 431kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 0.3mg | Sodium: 630mg | Potassium: 502mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 5443IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 2mg
    Made this recipe?Mention @GirlWithTheIronCast or tag #girlwiththeironcast!
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    749 shares

    Originally Published: August 19, 2019 Post Updated: November 16, 2022 Filed Under: Dairy Free, Dinner, Fall Favorites, One Pot, Pasta/Noodles, Recipes, Soup and Stew, Vegetarian, Winter Comfort Tagged With: Carrots, garlic, Ginger, Lemon, mushrooms, Onions, Oregano, parsley, Thyme

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rebecca

      September 20, 2019 at 8:22 am

      YUMMY! Made this for my guy who wasn’t feeling hot, he really liked it even with mushrooms (which he’s not a fan of). This is going to be great for this chilly-ish weather we’ll be getting. 🙂

      Reply
    2. Jo Thrasher • Jo Eats

      August 21, 2019 at 5:01 pm

      5 stars
      One: this looks amazing and two: better than bouillion is the shiz!

      Reply
    3. Faye

      August 19, 2019 at 9:53 pm

      Any suggestions for a substitute for the mushrooms? We just don’t like them.

      Reply
      • Stephanie

        August 19, 2019 at 9:58 pm

        The mushrooms lend a lot of flavor to the soup, so finding a substitute will not be exactly equal. Maybe try eggplant? Or zucchini? Let me know if you make it with a substitute!

        Reply
        • Faye

          August 21, 2019 at 8:54 am

          That’s what I was afraid of, but I’ll give it at try! Thanks

          Reply

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