This Tomato Orzo Soup features a creamy tomato base and is ready in under 30 minutes using pantry staples. This soup is rich, cozy, and filling enough to be a main!
I'm calling this Tomato Orzo Soup my grown-up take on Spaghetti-O's. Although it doesn't have meatballs, it tastes like what I imagine a more refined and adult version of the childhood classic would.
The orzo cooks in an herby tomato broth alongside chickpeas and a few pantry staples. The soup is ready in under 30 minutes and is hearty enough to enjoy as a meal.
For those who are fans of my One Pot Tomato Orzo, think of this as the soup version of that recipe.
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Recipe overview
- Makes 5 servings in 30 minutes.
- Made with plant-based pantry staples like crushed tomatoes, onion, and chickpeas.
- Features a rich, herby tomato-based broth similar to tortellini soup.
Ingredients
- Orzo: This is a small pasta shape. If looking for a substitute, use an equal amount of another small shape like orecchiette, cavatelli, or ditalini.
- Crushed tomatoes: If you only have diced tomatoes on hand, just add them to a blend or food processor and pulse a few times to break them down into crushed tomatoes.
- Vegetable broth/base: I pretty much always use Better than Bouillon vegetable base in place of vegetable broth in my recipes because I prefer the flavor and it's more budget-friendly. But any type of broth works here.
- Dry herbs are used for convenience. To replace dry herbs with fresh, use 3 times the amount of fresh chopped herbs.
- Chickpeas: My go-to soup protein. I'm sure that this orzo soup would go well with any type of Italian sausage. If you want to try out sausage, just sauté it alongside the onions.
- Calabrian chilis: This is optional, but it adds a hint of spice. If you'd like to add spice but Calabrian chilis aren't available, add ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes instead and adjust to taste.
- Milk: This adds a bit of creaminess to the soup. I typically use whole milk or 2%, but an equal amount of unsweetened, unflavored oat or soy milk would also work well. For an even richer soup, use ½ cup half and half or heavy cream in place of milk.
Step-by-step instructions
- Heat a 4-quart or similarly sized stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Drizzle with olive oil. Once hot, add the diced onion and salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6-8 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, herbs, and tomato paste. Sauté for another 1-2 minutes, or until the garlic is golden and aromatic.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth or bouillon/water, balsamic vinegar, and Calabrian chilis. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the orzo and reduce to a gentle simmer over medium-low.
- Simmer, stirring occasionally to keep the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pot, until the orzo is cooked. This typically takes 10-12 minutes. Once the orzo is cooked through, stir in ½ cup of milk. Add the remaining ½ cup for a thinner, creamier soup, if desired. Taste for salt and other seasonings. Enjoy!
Storage notes
- Leftovers are best within 3-4 days. Let cool before refrigerating.
- Like many pasta based soups (I'm looking at you Chickpea Noodle Soup!), Tomato Orzo Soup thickens up a lot as it chills in the fridge. Add a splash of vegetable broth before reheating, or enjoy as is!
- To freeze: I'm not a huge fan of freezing pasta-based dishes because it makes the pasta a bit softer/mushier, but it can be done. Just let the soup cool completely and transfer to a freezer safe container, leaving an inch of space at the top of the container. Let thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
More easy vegetarian soups
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Tomato Orzo Soup
Made with a creamy tomato based broth and a few pantry staples, this Tomato Orzo Soup is an instant favorite!
Equipment
- 1 4 or 6 quart Dutch oven or stock pot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small sweet yellow onion diced
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ½ teaspoon table salt
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dry basil
- 1 teaspoon dry parsley
- ¼ teaspoon fennel seed
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups vegetable broth see note #2
- ½ to 1 teaspoon minced Calabrian chilis in oil or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes; see note #1
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 15 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 cup orzo
- ½ to 1 cup whole milk see note #3
- freshly ground black pepper and Asiago cheese for serving
Instructions
- Heat a 4-quart or similarly sized stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Drizzle with olive oil. Once hot, add the diced onion and salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6-8 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, basil, parsley, and fennel seed. Sauté for another 1-2 minutes, or until the garlic is golden and aromatic.
- Deglaze the pot with the balsamic vinegar, stirring to remove any stuck-on bits. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, ½ teaspoon Calabrian chilis, black pepper, and drained and rinsed chickpeas.
- Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the orzo and reduce to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally to keep the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pot, until the orzo is cooked. This typically takes 10-12 minutes.
- Once the orzo is cooked through, transfer about ½ cup of soup to a small bowl and whisk with ½ cup of milk. Add this to the soup. Add the remaining ½ cup using the same method for a thinner, creamier soup, if desired.
- Taste the broth, adding remaining ½ teaspoon of chilis, if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Broth: Any broth works here. I like to use Better than Bouillon vegetable base, which typically calls for 1 teaspoon base per 1 cup of water. I add the base directly to the soup instead of adding it to boiling water as the package instructions recommend.
- Chilis: Calabrian chilis can be tricky to find, so feel free to use red pepper flakes instead. ½ teaspoon adds a gentle heat, while 1 teaspoon makes the soup subtly spicy. Can be omitted entirely, if desired.
- Milk: This adds a bit of creaminess to the soup. I typically use whole milk for the richest body, but an equal amount of unsweetened, unflavored oat or soy milk would also work well. For an even richer soup, use ½ cup half and half or heavy cream in place of milk.
- The milk is mixed with part of the soup instead of adding it directly to the soup so that it doesn't curdle due to the high soup temp.
Nutrition
Calories: 411kcalCarbohydrates: 67gProtein: 15gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 816mgPotassium: 829mgFiber: 10gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 496IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 142mgIron: 4mg
Did you make this?I love hearing how it went! Leave a review or tag me on Instagram @cozypeachkitchen so I can see your creations!
Rachel says
This was so good!! Very easy to make with pantry staples. I didn’t have any orzo so subbed baby shells and it was great. Also subbed milk for about 1/2 cup coconut milk and it added the perfect creaminess. Love the pizza flavor vibes, will definitely be making this again and again!
Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD says
Good to know that it works with baby shells and coconut milk! That seems like a great dairy-free swap. Thanks for the review!!