This Golden Orzo Soup simmers chickpeas and vegetables in a comforting turmeric-infused broth. It’s one of the best sick-day soups that’s easy to make in 1 pot in about 30 minutes!
Treat yourself to more vegan soup recipes, like my popular Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup, this creamy Vegan Potato Leek Soup, and this filling Vegan Lasagna Soup.
Friends, meet my Golden Orzo Soup with Chickpeas. It’s a gleaming, nourishing soup made with a turmeric-infused broth, a simple vegetable medley, chickpeas, and orzo pasta. Between its feel-good ingredients and savory flavors, this soup is everything I want in a sick day meal.
And the best part? It’s just plain low-effort. Everything—orzo, veggies, broth, and all—is cooked in one pot in half an hour. Great for when I’m under the weather or just want a bowl of something cozy in as little time as possible.
Why you’ll love this chickpea orzo soup
- Oh-so nourishing – This is the soup I want when I’m not feeling so great. The savory, golden, turmeric-infused broth always gives me a boost, while the chickpeas and orzo fill me up.
- Flexible – Mix and match the veggies or swap the chickpeas for your favorite beans or legumes.
- Easy, one-pot meal – It’s one of those almost impossibly easy soup recipes that’s made in 1 pot in about 30 minutes. Great for when you need something cozy in a hurry!
How to make orzo soup with chickpeas
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Start by sautéing the onion in a large soup pot over medium heat until it’s translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant.
Add the carrots, chickpeas, orzo, broth, salt, pepper, and turmeric. Heat to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir in the spinach and lemon juice. Taste and adjust the flavor by adding more salt, pepper, or lemon juice, as needed.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh herbs and nuts/seeds. Serve with my crusty Dutch Oven Bread or crackers on the side and enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
There’s plenty of room for more vegetables here. Stir in diced butternut squash, zucchini, celery, cauliflower, bell peppers, or any other veggies you like. Even a bag of frozen vegetables would be great.
All out of chickpeas? Just swap them for white beans, kidney beans, or cooked lentils. Vegan chicken, shredded or chopped could also be fun!
Another small pasta shape will work, like ditalini or pastina. If you’re gluten-free, you can use rice or gluten-free orzo (or another small gluten-free pasta) instead.
I’d recommend keeping the orzo separate from the soup if you plan on saving the leftovers. It will absorb the broth as it sits and become mushy. That said, if you have leftovers that have become thick and a bit mushy, you can just add a little extra water or broth to thin when re-warming.
Transfer the soup to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat the leftovers on the stove or in the microwave before serving with a fresh batch of cooked orzo.
Yes, as long as you cook the soup without the orzo. The soup will freeze well for about 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then reheat and combine it with freshly cooked orzo the next day.
Golden Orzo Soup with Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small sweet onion finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger or frozen
- 2 medium carrots peeled and chopped
- (2) 15-ounce cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 cup orzo
- 6-8 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- few shakes ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 3 cups baby spinach sliced
- 3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- chopped fresh cilantro, parsley or basil optional
- roasted chopped cashews or pepitas for topping, optional
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, sauté the onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 more minute, until fragrant.
- Add the carrots, chickpeas, orzo, 6 cups of the broth, salt, pepper and turmeric. Turn the heat to high, stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the orzo from sticking to the sides or bottom of the pot. Add more broth if it gets too thick.
- Stir in the baby spinach and lemon juice and cook for 2-3 minutes so the spinach can wilt. Remove from heat and taste; add any additional salt, pepper or lemon juice to taste.
- Serve in bowls with fresh herbs and nuts/seeds, if desired.
Notes
- Instead of chickpeas, you may use white beans, kidney beans, cooked lentils or even some shredded or cut vegan chicken.
- For gluten-free, use gluten-free orzo, rice or small shaped gluten-free pasta.
- Leftover soup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If making ahead, cook the orzo separately and add when you serve it. Otherwise, it will get kinda thick and mushy.
- Freeze the soup without the orzo for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm and add cooked orzo before serving.
Simply delicious! Easy to make and so good. Next time I have to remember to leave out orzo so I can freeze it, then add it to bowl when serving.
One of my favorites. So delicious and comforting.
Hi Kate. I’m so glad you are enjoying the soup! I appreciate you taking time to share your stellar review! Happy cooking!
SO much better than I expected, more than the sum or its parts, happens sometimes.
I’m glad you enjoyed the soup, Marcy! Thank you for sharing a terrific review!
Made this last night and it hit the spot. Very easy, tasty, and nourishing. Perfect for the frigid weather we’ve been having. Subbed kale for the spinach because it’s what I had on hand, and it turned out great. Will definitely be on regular rotation this winter!
Hi Julia. I’m so glad that you loved the soup! I agree this is a wonderful and comforting soup for cold weather! Thank you for sharing your glowing review and recipe experience! Wishing you happy cooking!
Is there a way to incorporate a can of coconut milk to make it creamy?
Sure! You can simply add some coconut milk near the end. Cashew Cream would also work.
Perfect soup for this chilly weather! Thank you!
This soup is so appealing to look at and so fragrant and delicious. I used the full amount of broth (I use the no-chicken broth) and lemon juice. I did add more salt and pepper but otherwise followed the exact recipe. I didn’t read carefully and added the orzo to the full batch even though I plan to freeze some. I’ll just have mushy orzo in my delicious soup. 😉
I’m so glad you liked it Debra! It’s okay to have rather mushy orzo; I had some leftover with it and I just added a little water when I reheated and it was fine. Thank you!
You were right! Done in thirty minutes and in our bowls! So good… used leftover brown rice in our bowls instead of orzo this time. Swiss chard for us today, what we had on hand. DELISH!!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! It’s so delicious! 🙂
Absolutely delicious and so easy to make! Thanks so much!
You are so welcome, Chris! I love this new simple and delicious soup recipe, and I’m glad that you loved it as well!