This recipe for Vegan Lemon Orzo Soup uses simple pantry-friendly ingredients to make a fresh and delicious, protein-rich meal. It uses just one pot, and cooks in about 8 minutes.
This soup is perfect for when you're in the mood for an easy, light, and healthy dinner. Although it's a simple recipe, there's a lot of flavor and comfort in this bowl of goodness.
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🥣 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
For another comforting sick-day soup recipe, check out my Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup. Try these comforting soup and stew recipes.
📖 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.
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.
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.
✔️ Expert Tips
- Do not overcook or the pasta will be mushy. Stir frequently.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftover Vegan Lemon Orzo Soup in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Or add the orzo for serving, and refrigerate the soup portion without pasta for up to 5 days.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
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!
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.
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.
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Lemon Orzo Soup
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
Instructions
- Aromatics: Heat the oil or broth in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the onion and carrots for about 7 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, and paprika and cook for one minute more.
- Cook: Add the vegetable broth, 1 cup water, chickpeas, and orzo. Stir to combine. 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 to the bottom. Add more broth or water as needed.
- Flavor: Transfer the miso to a small bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of water. Mix well until the miso is fully dissolved. Stir the dissolved miso into the soup. Add fresh lemon juice to taste. Stir in the kale until it is just wilted. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
- For oil-free: Substitute the olive oil with more vegetable broth.
- Do not overcook or the pasta will be mushy. Stir frequently.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftover Vegan Lemon Orzo Soup in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Or add the orzo for serving, and refrigerate the soup portion without pasta for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
Laura
Very tasty and fast to make. Love your recipes!
Nisha Melvani
Thanks you. I'm so thrilled you are enjoying them.
mary
Wonderful and easy! Making my second batch.
Nisha Melvani
I'm so happy to hear you are enjoying the recipe. Thank you Mary.
Pedro
Quick and tasty. I enjoyed it. Thanks a lot for sharing it.
Nisha Melvani
Hi Pedro,
I'm so glad you tried the recipe and liked it. Thank you for leaving a comment. Have a great afternoon.
Amina
Oh, one of my favourites. So delicious and nutritious. Easy to make too!
Nisha Melvani
Thanks Amina. It makes me so happy that you try my recipes so frequently.
Have a wonderful evening. xxx
Hansa
Loved this recipe! It was delicious, nutritious and quick to make. My whole family enjoyed it and it will definitely be on our weekly rotation.
Nisha Melvani
Thanks Hansa. It's so sweet of you to comment. I appreciate the feedback.
Neena
Great recipe!