Description
Simple one-pot orzo vegetable soup loaded with protein-rich beans, tender vegetables, and perfectly cooked pasta in a flavorful herb-infused broth. Ready in just 35 minutes and perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
Vegetable Base:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (whatever’s in your pantry works)
- 1 medium onion, chopped up (yellow or white, doesn’t matter)
- 1 medium carrot, chopped up (baby carrots work too if that’s what you have)
- 2–3 celery stalks, chopped up (including the leaves if they look okay)
- 2 big garlic cloves, minced (or use the jarred stuff, I won’t judge)
Seasonings:
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes (skip if feeding toddlers who freak out over spice)
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme (fresh works too but dried is fine)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil (Italian seasoning works in a pinch
Instructions
Put oil in your biggest pot on medium heat. Don’t use high heat because you’ll burn everything and have to start over (learned this the hard way). Add chopped onion, carrot, celery. Cook 6-7 minutes, stirring every couple minutes so nothing sticks. Done when onion looks clear and soft.
Pro Tip: Medium heat only. I used to crank it up to cook faster but high heat burns the bottom before the vegetables get soft. Patience is key here even when you’re starving.
Add minced garlic, chili flakes, thyme, oregano, basil. Stir for about a minute until it smells incredible and your kitchen smells like an Italian restaurant. Don’t let the garlic turn brown or it gets bitter.
Add both cans of drained beans, orzo, and all the broth. Stir everything up good, bring to a boil. Once it’s bubbling, turn heat down to medium-low and let it simmer 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Orzo should be tender but still have a little bite.
Pro Tip: Stir every few minutes or the orzo sticks to the bottom. If it starts looking too thick, add more broth. Better to have too much liquid than burnt pasta stuck to your pot.
Add lemon juice and chopped kale. Cook just 1-2 minutes until kale wilts down to nothing. Seriously it shrinks so much you’ll wonder where it all went.
Taste it and add salt and pepper. Start with less salt because some broths are already salty. Serve hot with whatever bread you have around. I drizzle a little extra olive oil in each bowl because it makes everything taste richer.
Notes
Start with way less salt than you think you need. You can always add more but you can’t take it out. Add more broth if it gets thick while sitting around.
I put an extra drizzle of olive oil in each bowl right before serving because it makes the soup taste more expensive. Don’t add the kale too early or it turns that ugly gray-green color that makes kids refuse to eat it.
If your kids hate visible vegetables, blend half the soup before adding the orzo and kale. They get the nutrition but can’t see chunks of carrot.
Use kitchen shears to chop the kale right in the pot if you’re lazy like me. Way easier than chopping on a cutting board.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cups
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 12g
- Protein: 14g
- Cholesterol: 0mg