One Pot Vegetable Orzo Soup

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This one pot, hearty Vegetable Orzo Soup is filling, inexpensive to make, and oh so flavorful. It’s a light tomato broth spiced with bay leaf and loaded with 8 different veggies plus tiny orzo pasta.

Enjoy a bowl for lunch or dinner, and be prepared for leftovers!

Looking for another orzo recipe? Try my Lemon Orzo Salad, it’s loaded with fresh veggies and herbs.

Two bowls of soup served with Artisan bread, ready to eat.

This soup is truly a feel-good soup! It is made with a light tomato broth, various vegetables, and hearty rice shaped pasta. It is perfect for warming up on cold nights or any time you are feeling under the weather without being too heavy on the stomach. This Vegetable Orzo Soup is:

done in 30 minutes- it’s just takes some chopping and simmering, you won’t have to spend a ton of time in the kitchen with this recipe.
packed with 8 different veggies- carrots, celery, onion, garlic, tomatoes, sweet corn, green beans, and peas.
a one pot dinner- this means it’s easy to make but also super quick to clean up.
nutritious- it’s healthy for you and better than any canned soup out there.

Try serving this soup with your favorite salad or my homemade No Knead Focaccia. It also goes nicely with sandwiches like these Fish Sliders or Ground Beef Sliders.

Soup in a large pot with a ladle of orzo pasta and tons of vegetables.

Vegetable Orzo Soup Ingredients

Below are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe. I did include a few important notes and even potential substitutions.

Onion: Grab yourself a yellow onion and chop it into small pieces. Feel free to substitute with a white onion, sweet onion, or shallots.
Carrots: Wash, peel, and chop them into small pieces (the same size as your onion).
Celery: Wash and chop into small pieces (the same size as the onions and carrots).
Garlic: Always use fresh cloves, it makes this soup taste even better. I also recommend grating it or mincing very fine.
Diced Tomatoes: Use canned, diced tomatoes with reduced sodium or no salt added. I do not recommend substituting for stewed tomatoes or crushed tomatoes, they are not the same thing.
Vegetable Stock: I recommend using this over broth because there is little to no sodium added. I also like the flavor of stock much more than broth. If you use broth, reduce the amount of added salt or you may have an overly salty soup.
Bay Leaves: For added herb flavor. Don’t eat these! They should be removed once the soup is cooked.
Red Pepper Flakes: This is completely optional but highly recommended. This adds a warm note (not spicy) that makes this Vegetable Orzo Soup even better.
Salt and Black Pepper: Season this soup to your taste preferences or use my recommended amounts.
Frozen Vegetables: We use bagged, frozen green beans (cut into 1 inch chunks), sweet corn, and peas. I do not recommend using canned vegetables or fresh vegetables. Canned turns into mush and fresh doubles the cook time on this recipe.
Orzo Pasta: I use Barilla brand orzo because of the quality, but feel free to use other brands. You can also find gluten free and whole wheat orzo at some grocery stores.

Equipment Needed

Large Pot: You need lots of room for the broth and vegetables. I use my 7 quart Dutch Oven when I make this soup.

Ingredients. Yellow onion, carrots, celery, garlic, canned diced tomatoes, vegetable stock, bay leaves, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, frozen green beans, frozen sweet corn, frozen peas, uncooked orzo pasta.

How to Make Vegetable Orzo Soup

Here is a very brief summary on how to make Vegetable Orzo Soup, the recipe card below will have complete details.

1. SAUTE the yellow onion, carrots, celery, and garlic.

2. BRING TO A BOIL the sauteed veggies, diced tomatoes, vegetable stock, bay leaves, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Step 2. Add the canned diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, bay leaves, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil.

3. SIMMER and add in the frozen green beans, frozen sweet corn, frozen peas.

4. ADD the orzo pasta and allow it to cook completely before serving. Don’t forget to remove the bay leaves.

Step 3. Add and simmer the frozen green beans, frozen sweet corn, and frozen peas.

Step 4. Add the orzo pasta and cook completely.

Storing, Freezing, and Reheating Information

Any leftover vegetable soup should be stored in an airtight container and in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It actually tastes better the second or third day because the flavors have time to develop and meld together. Reheat your leftovers over low heat on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring occasionally.

This soup freezes and reheats really well too. But one big note, if you choose to freeze this soup do not add the orzo pasta (it becomes mushy when you thaw the soup). Store it in freezer-friendly containers (either individual or larger servings) for up to 3 months. Reheat the soup over low heat on the stovetop, and don’t forget to add some cooked orzo pasta to it.

Step 5. Serve the soup hot out of pot with crusty bread.

A Few Fun Variations To Try

Add more protein by adding beans, I like white beans or kidney beans, to stay with the meatless theme. You can also add ground beef, shredded chicken, or even ground turkey.

Customize this vegetable soup with seasonal or leftover vegetables like cabbage, potatoes, spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, cauliflower, parsnips, or kale.

Sprinkle your favorite cheese over the top for another flavor note. I like using an Italian blend of white cheeses like parmesan, asiago, mozzarella, etc.

Close up of soup to see carrots, corn, peas, green beans, tomatoes, celery, onion, and orzo pasta.

Frequently Asked Questions About Vegetable Orzo Soup

How do I know when the orzo pasta is fully cooked in the soup?

The biggest indicator that your orzo pasta is fully cooked is the size. Orzo will swell to more than twice its size and the broth will become slightly cloudy from the released gluten. I also recommend taste testing it to make sure it is no longer crunchy but also not mushy either.

Can I make this Vegetable Orzo Soup recipe in a slow cooker?

If you like set it and forget it type of recipe, this option is for you. Just add the ingredients into your slow cooker and set it to low for 4 hours. In the last 20 minutes of cooking, add the cooked (not uncooked) orzo pasta, frozen green beans, sweet corn, and peas.

Vegetable Orzo Soup with a slice of crusty bread in it, ready to eat.

More Cold Weather Recipes You Might Enjoy:

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Vegetable Orzo Soup

Elizabeth Swoish

This hearty Vegetable Orzo Soup contains a mix of vegetables and orzo pasta in a light tomato broth. It's a one pot recipe that is easy to make and great for leftovers.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Total Time 30

Course Main Course, Soup

Servings

Calories 121 kcal

EQUIPMENT

large pot - I use a 7 qt Dutch Oven

INGREDIENTS

1 yellow onion - finely diced
3 carrots - peeled and diced
3 ribs celery - diced
3 cloves garlic - grated or minced
3 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes - with juice
10-12 cups vegetable stock - or low sodium vegetable broth
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoons salt - or to taste preferences
½ teaspoon black pepper - or to taste preferences
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup green beans - frozen, diced
1 cup sweet corn - frozen
1 cup peas - frozen
1 ½ cups Orzo pasta - uncooked

INSTRUCTIONS

To a large oiled pot or Dutch oven, add the yellow onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent.
Add diced tomatoes, vegetable stock, bay leaves, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a rolling boil.
Add the frozen green beans, frozen sweet corn, and frozen peas. Reduce heat to a simmer and allow the frozen vegetables to cook for 5 minutes.
Add the uncooked orzo and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the pasta has swelled and is fully cooked.
NOTE: Stir the soup every few minutes so the orzo does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
Remove from heat and serve warm.

RECIPE NOTES

Storing Information:

Refrigerated, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Reheat over low heat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Frozen (without orzo), in freezer-friendly containers, for up to 3 months. Reheat over low heat on the stovetop with cooked orzo until warmed through.

Slow Cooker Instructions:

Add the ingredients to the slow cooker and set at low for 4 hours. In the last 20 minutes of cooking, add cooked orzo pasta, frozen green beans, sweet corn, and peas.

Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

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