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    Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Soup

    One Pot Orzo Soup

    Published: Mar 8, 2021 · Modified: Sep 17, 2021 by Dannii · This post may contain affiliate links · 21 Comments

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    Jump to Recipe
    Diet: Low Fat / Vegan

    * This is a sponsored post for Tideford Organics *
    This vegetable packed Orzo Soup is all done in one pan for a fuss free comforting meal that will warm you up on a cold day. Quick and easy, adaptable and full of flavour - what more could you want from a soup?

    Two bowls of soup next to some crusty bread, a towel and a pot of pesto.

    This is a small batch vegetable soup, that is all done in one pan for minimal mess. You can easily double or triple this recipe, as it's great for batch cooking and freezing.

    You can adapt it to use whatever you have in your fridge, and make it a different way every time. If you have never tried orzo, then this soup is a great place to start.

    Jump to:
    • Why you will love it
    • Ingredients needed
    • Step by step
    • What is orzo?
    • How to adapt
    • What to serve with Orzo Soup
    • FAQs
    • Extra tips
    • More soup recipes
    • Recipe
    • Feedback

    Why you will love it

    • A vegetable packed soup - If you struggle to eat enough vegetables, then this is the soup for you as it is packed full of nutritious vegetables.
    • Vegan - This is a hearty vegan soup.
    • Easy to adapt - use this as a base recipe and then adapt with your favourite vegetables and protein.
    • A great way to use up vegetables - Because it is so easy to adapt, it makes it a great way to use up whatever vegetables you have in your fridge that need using.
    • Filling - The orzo and beans in this soup make it super filling.
    • Can be batch cooked - We made this as a small batch soup, but you can easily double the recipe to make more.

    Ingredients needed

    All the ingredients needed to make this recipe with text overlay labels.
    • Onions and carrot - This is the base of any great soup. You can save yourself some time and effort by using frozen onions. Dice the carrots very small, so that they soften once cooked, unless you like some bite to your carrots.
    • Celery - This isn't a must, but we find it adds some nice texture to the soup. You can leave it out though.
    • Red pepper - An easy way to add a touch of sweetness to the soup, and it adds a nice pop of colour too.
    • Garlic - You can use frozen garlic or some lazy garlic from a jar to make this soup really easy.
    • Vegetable Stock - Try to use the best quality that you can, as you really will taste the difference. If you are making this for really small children, then use a low salt stock.
    • Butterbeans - This adds some protein to the soup, as well as some chunky texture. You can swap them for any canned beans though, and chickpeas work well and they are also cheap.
    • Tomatoes - We used tinned chopped tomatoes. Try to use the best quality that you can, as cheap tinned tomatoes tend to be really watery and that's not what you want.
    • Orzo - This helps the soup to be really filling. You will find it with the pasta in your supermarket.
    • Dried herbs - We used dried thyme and basil, but oregano will work too.
    • Spinach - We are big fans of anything that we can give a bit green vegetable boost too, and it's really easy to just throw some spinach in at the end of this cooking. You could swap the spinach for kale, but that might need cooking a little longer to soften it up.

    A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.

    Step by step

    One: Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion, celery, carrot and red pepper. Cook on a low heat until softened (about 8-10 minutes). Stir in the garlic.

    Two shot collage of onions, celery, carrot and red pepper in a pan. Before and after cooking.

    Two: Add the beans, tomatoes and herbs. Mix well.

    Beens, herbs and tomatoes added to the pan. Before and after shots of mixing.

    Three: Add the orzo and stock, stir and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.

    Stock added to the pan. Before and after of mixing and cooking.

    Four: Add the spinach and simmer until it has wilted.

    Fresh spinach added to the pan.

    What is orzo?

    To put it simply, it's like rice, but pasta. It is the same shape and similar size to rice, but made of white flour. It's a store cupboard staple for us, because there are so many different ways to use it.

    It's great for adding in to a soup because it makes it much more hearty and filling, but it is small enough that you can still load it on to your spoon with all the other ingredients. Whatever soup you would add noodles or rice to, try orzo instead.

    How to adapt

    The great thing about a vegetable soup is that it is so easy to adapt. As long as all the vegetables cook at a similar rate, then it's all good. Some other vegetables that we like to add to this orzo soup are:

    • Roasted red pepper
    • Courgette
    • Chopped cabbage
    • Sweetcorn
    • Peas
    • Green beans
    • Butternut squash
    Beans, vegetables, spinach and orzo in a bowl of soup.

    What to serve with Orzo Soup

    This soup really does have it all. It is vegetable packed, it has a tonne of flavour, and it's filling too with the orzo. However, what takes this soup to the next level is the big spoonful of Tideford Organics Pesto on top.

    Tideford Organics has been making award-winning organic soups and sauces in Devon for nearly 25 years. Its mission is to create high quality, simple, organic food, using the best possible ingredients - something we can definitely get on board with. Natural, gluten-free ingredients you’d find in your own kitchen. 

    We love their pestos and we have used the Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic Pesto for this soup, as it just adds the most incredible flavour, that pairs perfectly with the vegetables. The pesto is vegan too, so it keeps the soup vegan.

    Two pots of Tidefords pesto, one with the top off.

    However, if like us you just HAVE to have something to dip in your soup, then we have a few suggestions:

    • Grilled cheese sandwich
    • Easy Homemade Flatbreads
    • Pita bread
    • Tiger loaf
    • Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia
    Two bowls of soup next to a pot of Tidefords pesto.

    FAQs

    How to store orzo soup.

    If you have leftovers of this soup, then it can be kept in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

    Can you freeze orzo soup?

    Yes, this is a really great soup it batch cook and freeze. Wait for the soup to completely cool, and then add to seal tight freezer bags and then lay them flat in the freezer. They will keep there for up to 3 months. Defrost the bags in the fridge and then heat through in a pan.

    Is orzo soup vegan?

    Yes, this soup is naturally vegan and goes to show that vegan food doesn't have to be boring. Make sure you use a vegan pesto like the Tideford one we used her to keep it vegan. If you are serving this to non vegans, then you could put a bowl of grated cheese on the side for adding on top, but it really doesn't need it.

    Can you add meat to orzo soup?

    This is a delicious meat free meal, and it really isn't missing anything. However, if you are serving this to someone that has to have meat with their meals, then why not add some leftover shredded chicken. Have you tried our Best Roast Chicken or Slow Cooker Whole Chicken? Cooked chopped up sausage is also a good addition.

    Can you cook orzo soup in the slow cooker?

    Yes, you can easily cook this in the slow cooker. Follow the first step, and then add everything to the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours. Depending on how "brothy" you like your soup, but might need to reduce the amount of stock added.

    heart icon

    Extra tips

    • Add some croutons on top for some extra crunch.
    • Spice this soup up a little with a sprinkling of red chilli flakes before serving.
    • If you are making this soup for young children, then use a low salt stock.
    • Swap the butter beans for chickpeas if you like.
    • You can make a creamy version of this by adding a drizzle of a vegan cream alternative and mix it together.

    More soup recipes

    • Carrot and Coriander Soup
    • Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup
    • Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup
    • Parsnip Soup

    If you’ve tried this Orzo Soup recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
    Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

    Recipe

    A bowl of orzo soup next to a checkered towel.

    Orzo Soup

    This vegetable packed Orzo Soup is all done in one pan for a fuss free comforting meal that will warm you up on a cold day.
    the words low fat in a white circle.
    Low Fat
    An illustration of a v-shaped plant in a pot.
    Vegan
    5 from 21 votes
    Author: Dannii
    Pin Print Save recipe Recipe saved!
    Course: Lunch, Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Allergens:
    An illustration of a bunch of celery.
    Celery
    An illustration of two ears of wheat.
    Gluten
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 251kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    UK Metric Measures - US Customary Measures
    • 1 tablespoon Olive oil
    • 1 Onion - diced
    • 1 Carrot - diced
    • 1 Celery - diced
    • 1 Red bell pepper - diced
    • 2 Garlic clove - crushed
    • 750 ml Vegetable stock
    • 240 g Butter beans - (drained weight)
    • 400 g Chopped tomatoes - canned
    • 150 g Orzo
    • 0.5 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 0.5 teaspoon Dried basil
    • 0.5 teaspoon paprika
    • 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper
    • 60 g Spinach

    Instructions

    • Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion, celery, carrot and red pepper. Cook on a low heat until softened (about 8-10 minutes). Stir in the garlic.
      1 tablespoon Olive oil, 1 Onion, 1 Carrot, 1 Celery, 1 Red bell pepper, 2 Garlic clove
    • Add the beans, tomatoes and herbs and seasoning. Mix well.
      240 g Butter beans, 400 g Chopped tomatoes, 0.5 teaspoon dried thyme, 0.5 teaspoon Dried basil, 0.5 teaspoon paprika, 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper
    • Add the orzo and stock, stir and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.
      150 g Orzo, 750 ml Vegetable stock
    • Add the spinach and simmer until it has wilted.
      60 g Spinach

    Notes

    • Add some croutons on top for some extra crunch.
    • Spice this soup up a little with a sprinkling of red chilli flakes before serving.
    • If you are making this soup for young children, then use a low salt stock.
    • Swap the butter beans for chickpea if you like.
    • You can make a creamy version of this by adding a drizzle of a vegan cream alternative and mix it together.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1portion | Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1140mg | Potassium: 681mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 5576IU | Vitamin C: 55mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 4mg
    DisclaimerThe nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Journa

      March 09, 2021 at 2:21 pm

      Love how fuzz free this recipe is! Love that it's one pot! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
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    Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

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