Soups
Lemon Orzo Soup (Bright & Comforting) 🍋
Prep
10 minutes
Cook
40 minutes
Yield
6 -8
🍋 This bright lemon orzo soup is pure comfort! Vegetarian, creamy & packed with fresh lemon flavor.
There’s no better pair than zucchini and lemon together. Add creamy orzo and you have pure soup magic. This lemon orzo soup is Greek-inspired and refreshingly delicious. The beauty is that it’s naturally vegetarian and customizable. Because it’s packed with vegetables and bright flavors, it’s incredibly light. Best part?
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Lemon Orzo Soup
- Bright: Fresh lemon juice and zest create vibrant, fresh flavor.
- Vegetarian: This lemon orzo soup vegetarian recipe needs no chicken.
- Creamy: Coconut milk or tahini creates richness without dairy.
- Versatile: Add beans, chickpeas, or chicken for extra protein easily.
🍲 Ingredients
Garlic – Garlic adds incredible flavor and loads of healthy nutrients. It contains manganese, vitamins B6 and C, and fiber. Additionally, garlic boosts your immune system naturally and powerfully. So this lemon orzo soup becomes both delicious and nutritious.
Zucchini – Zucchini is incredibly versatile in any dish you make. It’s high in fiber and packed with vitamins and minerals. Additionally, zucchini contains antioxidants that support overall health. Because it’s so nutritious, this creamy lemon orzo soup becomes wholesome too.
👩🍳 How to Make Lemon Orzo Soup
Build the Flavor Base:
Step 1: Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Cook for 20-30 seconds on medium-high heat. Add diced yellow onion and sweat for 3-5 minutes. The onion should become translucent and fragrant completely. Add minced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Cook until fragrant and slightly soft throughout.
Toast the Orzo:
Step 2: Stir in the orzo pasta with fresh parsley. Add onion powder, salt, and black pepper to the pot. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the orzo turns golden. This toasting brings out nuttier, deeper flavors in the pasta. Don’t skip this step for best results.
Add Vegetables and Lemon:
Step 3: Add the zucchini and kale to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes while stirring occasionally throughout. Add fresh lemon juice and lemon zest to the mixture. The zest adds bright, concentrated lemon flavor. Stir everything together so flavors combine beautifully.
Simmer the Soup:
Step 4: Add vegetable bouillon paste and boiling water. Bring to a boil on high heat. Allow to cook for 8-10 minutes until orzo becomes tender. The orzo may cook faster than expected, so check frequently. Taste the orzo to ensure it’s just tender, not mushy. Note that orzo continues cooking slightly after you remove heat. This is called carryover cooking and affects final texture.
Add Creaminess:
Step 5: Reduce heat to medium-low before adding dairy alternatives. Stir in coconut milk or heavy cream very slowly. Cook for 5 more minutes while stirring constantly. Then add shredded parmesan cheese and mix thoroughly. If adding cooked chicken, add it here and heat through.
Optional Avgolemono Method (Dairy-Free):
Step 6: For authentic avgolemono-style creaminess without dairy, use egg. Whisk 1-2 eggs with additional lemon juice together. Slowly temper eggs by adding hot soup to them. Then slowly pour egg mixture back into the pot. Stir constantly to prevent scrambling the eggs completely. Cook for 2-3 minutes until soup thickens. This creates velvety texture without any dairy.
Finish and Serve:
Step 7: Taste the soup and adjust seasonings carefully. Add more salt, lemon juice, or fresh herbs. The soup should be glossy, not starchy looking. Garnish with fresh dill and parsley before serving. Serve hot with crusty bread on the side.
🗒 Tips and Tricks
- Orzo Timing: Cook orzo separately and add just before serving. Or undercook by 2 minutes to prevent mushiness. Carryover cooking continues after you remove from heat. Test frequently since timing varies by brand.
- Lemon Balance: Taste for saltiness after adding lemon juice. Lemon affects how salty soup tastes overall. Add more or less lemon based on your preference.
- Glossy Texture: The soup should look glossy, never starchy. If starchy, drain some orzo liquid before adding it. This keeps broth clear and prevents cloudiness.
- Dairy-Free Option: Use tahini or olive oil for creaminess. Or try the egg-lemon avgolemono method for richness. Both options create velvety texture beautifully.
- Herb Finishing: Add fresh dill and parsley right before serving. Fresh herbs brighten this creamy lemon orzo soup. Don’t cook herbs into the soup—add fresh.
🗒 Substitutions
- Greens: Swap kale for spinach or arugula easily. Chard, escarole, or mixed greens work beautifully. Use about the same amount as the kale called for.
- Orzo: Use small gluten-free pasta as a substitute. Try risotto rice or quinoa for different texture. Brown rice adds heartiness and different mouthfeel.
- Creamy Base: Use tahini or olive oil for dairy-free. Greek yogurt works beautifully for tanginess. Cashew cream creates richness without animal products.
- Protein: Add white beans or chickpeas for fiber. Use cooked shredded chicken if not vegetarian. Lentils provide different texture and nutrition entirely.
- Garlic: Use jarred garlic if mincing 10 cloves seems overwhelming. Pre-minced garlic works in this creamy lemon orzo soup.
- Broth: Use vegetable broth instead of bouillon paste. Chicken broth works if you’re adding chicken protein. Bone broth adds collagen and minerals.
🍽️ Best served with
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Store this lemon orzo soup vegetarian version in the fridge. Keep it in a tightly sealed container for 3-4 days. The flavors actually improve as the soup sits overnight. Reheat gently over low heat on the stovetop.
Orzo Storage Tip: Store the orzo separately from the broth. This prevents it from swelling and absorbing too much liquid. When reheating, warm the broth separately from orzo. Add fresh cooked orzo when ready to serve. Or reheat them together and thin with additional broth. This keeps the texture perfect and prevents mushiness.
You can also freeze this avgolemono orzo soup for up to 1 month. Freeze without orzo and add fresh pasta when reheating. Alternatively, freeze the base broth only without any additions.
Yes, this recipe is naturally vegetarian as written. For vegan, use vegetable broth and skip cream. Use tahini, olive oil, or coconut milk for creaminess.
Cook orzo separately and add just before serving. Or undercook by 2 minutes and let it carryover cook. Taste frequently since pasta brands cook at different rates.
Use small gluten-free pasta instead of regular orzo. Try risotto rice or quinoa for different texture. Both work beautifully in this creamy lemon orzo soup.
It’s inspired by avgolemono but different. Traditional avgolemono uses an egg-lemon tempering method. Whisk eggs with lemon, then slowly temper them. Pour back into hot soup for velvety creaminess without dairy.
Absolutely, add white beans or chickpeas. Use one 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed. Add them when you add the zucchini and kale. Beans provide fiber and plant-based protein beautifully.
tore broth and orzo separately for best texture. Keeps in fridge for 3-4 days maximum. Reheat gently and thin with broth if needed. You can freeze the base up to 1 month.
Orzo is small pasta shaped like grains of rice. It’s softer and creamier than actual rice. Try risotto rice as an alternative for similar creaminess.
Lemon Orzo Soup (Bright & Comforting) 🍋
Your Greek mommy that is. 😍 Step into my kitchen to learn how to make yummy Greek food. 🍽️💃
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp vegan or regular butter
- 2 medium white onions
- 10 garlic cloves minced (adjust as per your families likeness to garlic)
- 1 cup of orzo
- 6 tbsp. fresh parsley chopped
- 1 1/2 tbsp. onion powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 4 medium zucchinis grated
- 4 cups green kale chopped
- 2 tbsp. bouillon paste
- 4 cups of boiling water
- 1-398 ml can coconut milk or heavy cream
- 3 lemons zest + juice
- 1 cup parmesan cheese or cheese of choice vegan will work just fine
Instructions
- In a large soup pot add the olive oil and heat for 20-30 seconds on medium-high heat before adding your diced yellow onion. Sweat this out for around 3 – 5 minutes. Mince the garlic + add it to the pot. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes until fragrant and slightly soft. Stir in the orzo, fresh parsley, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until golden and toasted.
- Add the zucchini, kale, lemon juice + zest, cooking for another 5 minutes.
- Add the bouillon paste and boiling water to the pot.
- Bring to high heat and allow to boil and cook for 8 – 10 minutes until the orzo is tender.
- Stir in the coconut milk/ heavy cream and parmesan cheese, cooking for 5 more minutes.
Adjust any seasonings to taste.
- Serve immediately with additional fresh parsley!
Video
Can this be made a day in advance? Orzo is really hard to eat the next day, any tips on how to keep it fresh?
all the information on that are in the notes of the recipe card!
Does this recipe work with any other type of pasta?
of course! any pasta, really! but I suggest smaller pasta!
Followed recipe exactly as written. Perfect as is. Will have to share it with my mother.
let me know what your mother says!
This orzo is delicious. I’ve made it several times already.
thank you sooo much!
This was very good!
thank you so much, nina!
Bright, fresh, and yet very comforting too. This dish was fast and delicious. It was very liked around the dining table!
so glad you loved this!
The taste is great, would make again!
thank you so much!
I love lemon soups! Obsessed with your website!
thank you so much!
This recipe is delicious! A real keeper recipe with simple ingredients, and so fresh tasting.
thank you so much, josie!
Tasty and hearty!
thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed this!