Vegan Lemon Orzo Soup Recipe

Name: Vegan Lemon Orzo Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil (or vegetable broth); 1 small yellow onion (small dice); 2 garlic cloves (minced); 2 small carrots (cut into ½-inch coins); ½ teaspoon sweet paprika; 2 cups vegetable broth (plus more for cooking); 15 ounces chickpeas (canned, drained and rinsed ); ½ cup orzo; 2 tablespoons white miso ((mellow)); 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice (or to taste); 2 cups chopped curly kale; Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

5 from 12 votes

This Vegan Lemon Orzo Soup is made with simple pantry-friendly ingredients. It uses just one pot, and cooks in about 8 minutes. Healthy, delicious, and perfect for sick days!

Modified: Jun 10, 2021 · Published: Mar 17, 2021 by Nisha Melvani, RDN · I earn commissions from purchases via links on this post.

🥣 Why This Recipe Is Fabulous

The ingredients are budget-friendly and pantry-friendly.

This recipe is perfect for when you are feeling under the weather. It's comforting and warming.

It's simple to make, with minimal prep and a short cooking time.

Even though it uses simple ingredients, it's still a balanced dinner. There's protein from the chickpeas, greens from the kale, carbohydrates from the pasta, and more veggies.

It's easy to make this recipe oil-free.

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients

Chickpeas replace the chicken in this Lemon Orzo Soup. They add fiber and protein and can be roasted or sautéed to add more texture to this soup.
Kale is a veggie superstar for good reason. High in nutrients, and very low in calories, it's among the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. It offers the benefits of dark leafy greens but with lower oxalate levels. Kale is also a good source of calcium which is sometimes lacking in vegan diets.
Miso paste adds an umami 'meaty' flavor to this soup.
Onion
Garlic
Carrots
Orzo
Lemon

See the recipe card for quantities.

🧅 Substitutes

Onion - use any variety of onion

Chickpeas - use plain or roasted chickpeas, white beans, pinto beans, or omit them entirely

Mellow miso - use tamari or soy sauce instead to taste

Olive oil - for oil-free, use vegetable broth instead

📖 How to Make Vegan Lemon Orzo Soup

Step 1. Start by heating olive oil or vegetable broth in a medium saucepan. Once the oil is hot, you're going to add the onions and carrots.

Diced onion, garlic, carrot, and celery in a white skillet.

Cook until the onions are translucent, and then add the garlic and sweet paprika and cook for one minute more to develop flavor.

Step 2. Add vegetable broth, water, chickpeas, and orzo. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook for about 8 minutes, or until the orzo is al dente. Stir frequently to prevent the pasta from sticking.

Saucepan chickpea miso soup with orzo, carrots, and onions in a golden vegetable broth.

Step 3. Once the pasta is cooked, add the dissolved miso, and fresh lemon juice. Give the soup a good stir before mixing in the kale. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

What are the benefits of eating carrots?

The best-known carrot superpower is that they're good for your eyes. This is because they're loaded with beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A. This antioxidant is what gives them their orange color. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals in our body. Too many free radicals may increase our risk of cancer, so we want lots of antioxidants around!

What is miso?

Miso is a fermented paste made by inoculating a mixture of soybeans, grain (like barley or rice), and salt with koji (a mold). It's a key ingredient in Japanese cooking and has a texture similar to peanut butter. It should be dissolved in water before using or it may remain in chunks, which can be very unpleasant to bite into!
Miso adds an umami flavor, and earthy taste to this soup. It is, however, a high-sodium food and should therefore be used sparingly.

What is orzo?

is a thin, oval, rice-shaped pasta. It is made from semolina, a coarser, golden flour that comes from durum wheat. You can also purchase a whole-wheat version. It has the perfect texture for making a pilaf, and a cooking time of 15 minutes, the same as white rice, which is why this combination works so well. It is traditionally used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines, especially in Greek and Italian dishes.

📖 Recipe