Why you will love this recipe

It's made in one pot with minimal cook time. No all day simmering on the stove necessary!

It's very forgiving and easy to incorporate whatever kind of hearty vegetables and leafy greens you have on hand.

It's packed with nutritious ingredients and a good thing to have stashed in the fridge or freezer for a quick and healthy meal.

Ingredients and Substitutions

This healthy vegetable soup is easy to make and totally customizable with lots of substitutions.

Carrots

Celery

Onion - yellow, white or sweet onion.

Garlic

Spinach - you can also substitute kale, Swiss chard, collard greens or any kind of sturdy, leafy green.

Peas

Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes - you can also use a can of regular diced tomatoes or fresh tomatoes with a little bit of tomato paste for extra concentrated flavor.

Fresh herbs - fresh parsley is what I use. Cilantro and basil or a mix will also work.

Orzo - a short cut pasta, also known as risoni, shaped like a large grain of rice. Any kind of pastina or small pasta like stars or mini tubes will work. To make a gluten free version, use gluten free pasta or skip the pasta and use diced potatoes, sweet potatoes or butternut squash.

Low sodium vegetable stock - I always go with a low sodium broth and adjust the seasoning to taste in all recipes. You can use store bought or homemade vegetable broth or chicken broth.

Dried Herbs - oregano, thyme and basil or use Italian seasoning

Olive oil, salt and black pepper

Toppings - croutons, parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil is how I like to dress it up.

Variations - bell peppers, corn, zucchini, green beans, chard, kale or any other soup-friendly variety of vegetables and leafy greens will work in this recipe. For more protein, you can also add in a can of white beans, chickpeas or some leftover chicken breast. Make a creamy soup by adding some evaporated milk, heavy cream or coconut cream.

Grey soup bowl full of vegetable orzo soup topped with croutons and parmesan cheese.

Method

Start by prepping the veggies. Dice the onion, celery and carrots and mince the garlic cloves. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion, celery and carrots for 6-8 minutes until slightly softened. Add in garlic and dried herbs and cook for another minute.

Process of sauteing veggies, adding herbs, then tomatoes and orzo.

Add fire roasted diced tomatoes, orzo and broth and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5-6 minutes, then add in frozen peas and cook for another 3-4 minutes until orzo is al dente. Orzo has a tendency to stick to the bottom of the pot so be sure to scrape thoroughly and stir occasionally throughout the process.

Photo series of adding broth, then peas and spinach and fresh herbs.

Wilt in the spinach and stir in fresh herbs, season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve topped with croutons, parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.

Grey bowl of soup topped with croutons and parmesan cheese with a spoon in it.

Storage and tips

Let the soup cool completely before storing. Leftovers will last 4-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

To freeze, pack cooled soup in a freezer bag or freezer safe container for 3-4 months.

The orzo will absorb a lot of liquid as the soup sits and cause it to thicken. You can thin the leftover servings with more broth or enjoy it as is.

I would recommend making this soup on the stovetop and not in the pressure cooker or slow cooker. It does not take long for the vegetables to become tender. Orzo is also a very small, quick cooking pasta. Overcooking it could cause it to become gummy or mushy.

If you save your parmesan rinds to add maximum flavor to soups, this is a great recipe to toss one in!

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