Creamy Orzo Vegetable Soup is the most cozy, comforting soup and perfect for sick days. It's a great way to use up leftover vegetables from the fridge and pairs really well with my Sourdough Grilled Cheese. Plus, this easy soup cooks all in one pot and is ready in under 1 hour!
My daughter was sick over the weekend and this recipe was a result of having hardly any groceries in the house. Sickness always hits my house on the day that grocery shopping is supposed to happen.
As someone who grew up with little money, I'm very good at being creative with what I have available, and this soup turned out amazing!
It's creamy and packed with a combination of veggies that really compliment each other. Plus, it's quick and it doesn't have any kale or spinach, which means my kids will actually eat it.
For more sick day soups, try this popular Pastina Soup, Chicken Noodle Soup in the Dutch Oven, Chicken Dumpling Soup, and Chicken Soup with Wild Rice.
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Why You'll Love This Soup:
- Easy. Simple step by step instructions make this an excellent soup recipe for even beginner cooks.
- Quick. Ready in just 50 minutes and still packs a ton of flavor.
- One Pot. Easy clean up with this dutch oven soup.
- Healing. Tender pasta with vegetables in hot chicken stock is just what the doctor ordered on a sick day.
For more orzo recipes, try this Chicken Orzo Bake, Broccoli Orzo, and Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad.
Ingredients:
Chicken Stock: Make sure to use stock instead of broth. Chicken stock packs much more rich flavors because it's made with the bones. My favorite brands are the Kirkland's Chicken Stock and Kitchen Basics.
Olive Oil: Used in combination with the butter to soften the vegetables and increase the burning point. Without the olive oil, the butter may start to brown before the vegetables are softened and this can cause a bitter flavor.
*Full recipe ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations:
Want more protein? Add in the pulled meat, without the skin, from a rotisserie chicken or add in a can of drained garbanzo beans or white Northern beans (cannellini beans).
The roasted red peppers can be substituted with diced red peppers and cooked with the carrots and celery. However, I like the fact that the roasted red peppers bring in a bit of smoky flavor and that they're already soft.
You can add in other veggies too, like diced tomatoes, canned green beans, kale, or baby spinach.
For a greek vibe, add in the juice from ½ a lemon.
Equipment Substitution: If you don't have a dutch oven, use a large pot with cover.
For more sandwich ideas to pair with this soup, try these Ham and Cheese Croissants, Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt, or Chicken Salad Croissant.
How to Make Orzo Soup:
Step 1: Place a large dutch oven on the stovetop over medium low heat. Add in butter and olive oil and allow the butter to melt. Toss in carrot, celery, and onion. Stir well then cover and cook for 2-3 minutes, uncover stir and cover for another 2-3 minutes until the vegetables are nice and softened. Note: Make sure the carrots aren't hard still. If they are, repeat the stirring and covering process once or twice more until softened.
Step 2: Stir in the garlic, salt, basil, parsley, oregano, garlic powder, and bay leaf, and cook for 60 seconds. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well.
Step 3: Add in the orzo pasta and toast for about 90 seconds, stirring frequently.
Step 4: Add in the diced roasted red peppers and pour in chicken stock. Stir well, then cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to remove any sticking noodles. Cook covered for another 20 minutes, stirring half way through and scraping the bottom of the pan again.
Step 5: Test the orzo to make sure it's cooked through. Once it's cooked, turn off the heat on the stovetop to avoid overcooking the pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Step 6: Top with parmesan cheese and/or black pepper if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- Make sure to slice the carrot and celery really thin, so they cook throughout. This soup doesn't cook very long and we don't want a crunch from the carrots & celery when eating.
- We want the veggies to soften, but not brown too much. Reduce the heat if needed and if you can tell the butter is browning, add another tablespoon of olive oil to increase the burning point.
- Once the orzo pasta is cooked, turn off the heat completely to avoid swelling of the orzo.
For more vegetable packed recipes, try these Pesto Vegetables, Traeger Smoked Vegetables, Penne Primavera, and Vegetable Rice Soup.
Recipe FAQs:
I love adding pasta right into my soup because it eliminates extra pots and brings in more flavor. Once the pasta is boiled until al dente, firm when bitten into, immediately turn off the heat and leave uncovered. It will cook a bit more, but it shouldn't be excessive. The leftover soup will most likely have some swelled up pasta, but you can always add in more stock when heating up.
This happens when you cook it directly into the soup. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan so it doesn't scratch it. An alternate method is cooking the pasta by itself, but I find the flavors aren't as deep as when you cook it right in the soup.
Store the soup in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, place into a pot on the stovetop over medium low heat until hot. You may need to add a few splashes of chicken stock to thin it out.
More Must Try Soup Recipes:
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PrintRecipe
Orzo Vegetable Soup
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 bowls 1x
Description
Creamy Orzo Vegetable Soup is the most cozy, comforting soup and perfect for sick days. Plus, this easy soup cooks all in one pot and is ready in under 1 hour!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced very thin
- 2 stalks of celery, diced fine
- ⅓ cup yellow onion, diced fine
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ¾ cup dried orzo pasta
- ½ cup roasted red peppers from the jar, diced
- 6 cups chicken stock (about 1.5 containers)
- Optional: Parmesan cheese, shredded fine for serving & ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place a large dutch oven on the stovetop over medium low heat. Add in butter and olive oil and allow the butter to melt. Toss in carrot, celery, and onion. Stir well then cover and cook for 2-3 minutes, uncover stir and cover for another 2-3 minutes until the vegetables are nice and softened. Note: Make sure the carrots aren't hard still. If they are, repeat the stirring and covering process once or twice more.
- Add in the garlic, salt, basil, parsley, oregano, garlic powder, and bay leaf, and cook for 60 seconds. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well.
- Add in the orzo pasta and toast for about 90 seconds, stirring a few times throughout.
- Add in the diced roasted red peppers and pour in chicken stock. Stir well, then cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook covered for another 20 minutes, stirring half way through and scraping the bottom of the pan.
- Test the orzo to make sure it's cooked through. Once it's cooked, turn off the heat on the stovetop to avoid overcooking the pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Top with parmesan cheese and black pepper if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure to slice the carrot and celery really thin, so they cook throughout. This soup doesn't cook very long and we don't want a crunch from the carrots & celery when eating.
- We want the veggies to soften, but not brown too much. Reduce the heat if needed and if you can tell the butter is browning, add another tablespoon of olive oil to increase the burning point.
- Once the orzo pasta is cooked, turn off the heat completely to avoid swelling of the orzo.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: soup
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
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