This Chickpea and Orzo Vegetable Soup is a warm and comforting bowl of goodness that’s chock full of vegetables and flavor. It’s perfect for soup season, or any time of year!
This cozy Chickpea and Orzo Vegetable Soup is a definite new favorite around here. It’s tomato-ey, a touch creamy, and so nourishing too, with its bounty of veggies. It’s filled with zucchini and bell peppers, with simple pantry seasonings and ingredients. The sun-dried tomatoes add a tangy chewy bite of deliciousness, and fresh herbs top it off for a vibrant finish.
Plus, this soup doesn’t get any easier to make! Which is perfect for this time of year, where family and holiday related activities are heating up as temps are cooling down. You’ll simply cook the orzo separately while working on building everything else into soupy goodness in a pot.
Tips and Substitutions
The broth: this soup uses 2 cups of vegetable broth, which makes for a super chunky soup, almost stew-like. If you prefer a more brothy, thin soup then go ahead and add at least one more cup of vegetable broth. And if you’re making this soup for leftovers, the soup will thicken further, as the orzo soaks in more broth. You have two options to try. Either wait to add the orzo until the time/day you’re eating, or simply add a bit more broth (or water) when you’re re-heating the soup.
The beans: this recipe uses chickpeas, which have a great texture in this soup because they’re not too soft. However, the soup would still be great with a softer bean like cannellini or great northern beans. Using one of those softer white beans will also make the soup a bit creamier too, which can’t be a bad thing.
The orzo: a tip for adding more flavor into the orzo itself is to cook the pasta in salted water. I like to add 2 to 3 teaspoons of kosher salt into the boiling water along with the pasta, which will season the orzo. And if you’re looking for other pasta shape ideas to use in this soup, some great options would be ditalini or even farfalle.
How This Chickpea and Orzo Vegetable Soup Comes Together
Cook the orzo first, in salted water. I like to cook the orzo separately according to package directions, which you can drain and then add into the soup when it’s about to be ready to serve.
Meanwhile, finely chop your onion. Try to make sure to cut these small, so that they’ll cook quickly and also soften up well for the soup. Add them to a very large skillet or a large pot, along with the oil. Let these cook on medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Some browning is okay.
While the onions are cooking, this is the time to finely chop the bell pepper. Again, try to cut these very small. If you have time, you can also dice the zucchini and finely chop the sun-dried tomatoes at this point as well. Add the chopped bell pepper into the pan, stir, and let the vegetables cook for around 5 minutes, then add in the white wine. Let them continue to cook until most of the wine has evaporated.
Then, add in the seasonings, chickpeas and zucchini. Stir these together, and let them cook for around 3 minutes, letting the zucchini become nearly tender. In goes the broth and crushed tomatoes, stirring to combine everything.
Bring the soup to a simmer, then finally add in the sun-dried tomatoes, coconut milk, and the cooked orzo. Give the soup a good stir, and let cook for a minute while you finely chop the fresh parsley, if using. Serve the soup and top with red chili flakes for some spicy heat, if you like.
Other Delicious Soup Recipes
Creamy Roasted Broccoli Noodle Soup
Vegan Vegetable Soup with Bowties
If you give this recipe a try, I would love to see it! You can tag me on Instagram @janetsmunchmeals and comment here!
Chickpea & Orzo Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small red onion finely chopped
- 1 bell pepper finely chopped
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried tarragon
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 15 oz. chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 medium zucchini diced
- 1 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
- 1/3 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 3/4 cup to 1 cup cooked orzo pasta
Instructions
- Preheat a large pan or pot over medium heat, and add oil and onions. Cook for 8 to 10 min on medium low, stirring periodically.
- Add bell pepper, stir, cook for 5 min. Add white wine, simmer until liquid is almost evaporated. Add seasonings, chickpeas and zucchini. Stir and cook 3 min.
- Add crushed tomatoes and broth, stir, and bring to a simmer. Add sun-dried tomatoes and coconut milk, stir and add in the cooked orzo.
Omg this looks amazing! I don’t use orzo very often but might have to give this a shot.
Thanks so much, Casey! It’s such a yummy one!