The best way to warm up is from the inside out with this hearty Vegetable Orzo Soup. Packed with tender vegetables, hearty orzo, and a rich tomato base, this simple and comforting vegetarian soup comes together in just one pot.
As a mom who wants dinner fast but still full of flavor, an easy recipe like this that’s packed with veggies, makes enough to feed the whole family, and leaves us with little cleanup is a cold weather favorite!
And if you are leaning into soup season and want additional filling soup ideas with pasta, check out this Vegetarian Pastina Soup next!
Vegetarian Soup with Orzo Ingredients
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Vegetable Orzo Soup Tips and Tricks
How to Cook Orzo in Soup (So it Doesn’t Get Mushy!)
The key to success in this soup is getting tender vegetables without overcooking the orzo. It’s super easy, so long as you add the ingredients to your pot in a particular order.
I like to prep all my veggies first for a seamless process. You want the onion, pepper, celery, and green beans diced and your garlic minced. Make sure to chop the ends off the green beans and discard the stem and seeds of the bell pepper.
Place your pot over medium heat and cook the onion and celery in the olive oil, salt, pepper, and tomato paste first. It only needs about 5 minutes.
Then, add the green beans, red bell pepper, and garlic and sauté for another 5 minutes before adding the vegetable broth and bay leaves.
Bring the soup to a steady simmer before half covering it to trap some of the steam- we don’t want too much of the broth to cook off. Simmer half covered, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender.
This step is crucial. You should NOT add the orzo until the veggies are tender! After about 15 minutes taste a piece of green bean and make sure its tender. If so, go ahead and add the orzo and spinach.
Turn the heat to low and cook on a low simmer until the orzo is al dente. Then, you’re pretty much done! Just make sure to remove your bay leaves and give it a taste to see if it needs any more salt or pepper.
You can also add a little bit of crushed red pepper if you want a little bit of a kick. This soup is also delish with a dusting of freshly grated Parmesan or some fresh herbs like basil, thyme, or dill.
How to Store and Reheat Your One-Pot Vegetable Soup
Cover the soup and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for about 5 months.
The easiest way to reheat it is in a pot over medium heat. You can also microwave it on high in a covered, microwave-safe dish, for 90 seconds. Stir and heat again, uncovered in 30-second intervals until it is hot all the way through.
One-Pot Vegetable Orzo Soup
SAVE RECIPE TO COLLECTION PIN PRINT RATEEquipment
- Large Pot * or *
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2 stalks celery
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 8 ounces fresh green beans
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 1 cup orzo
- 2 cups spinach
Instructions
- Peel, core, and dice the onion, dice the celery, and peel and mince the garlic. Cut the red pepper around the core. Discard the seeds and dice. Chop the ends off the green beans and dice them, too.1 medium yellow onion, 2 stalks celery, 8 ounces fresh green beans, 1 medium red bell pepper, 4 cloves garlic
- To a large pot over medium heat, add the olive oil, onion, celery, salt, pepper, and tomato paste. Cook for about 5 minutes until nice and fragrant.1 medium yellow onion, 3 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ cup tomato paste, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 2 stalks celery
- Still over medium heat, add the red bell pepper, green beans, and garlic and cook another 5 minutes.1 medium red bell pepper, 8 ounces fresh green beans, 4 cloves garlic
- Add the vegetable broth and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Half cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so that nothing sticks to the bottom. At this point, taste a green bean- you want them tender before you add the orzo, so you that you don't end up overcooking the orzo and making it mushy.5 cups vegetable broth, 2 whole bay leaves
- Turn the heat down to low and stir in the orzo and spinach. Half cover and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes until the orzo is al dente. Remove the bay leaves, add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy! Sometimes I garnish with some fresh herbs, crushed red pepper, and/or freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!1 cup orzo, 2 cups spinach
Pro Tips
- This is a great clean-out-the-fridge soup! Add any vegetables you need to use up in step 3, and any greens you want to add in step 5. If you want to add canned beans, rinse them and add them in step 5 as well.
Video
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