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Sarah

Vegetarian or Vegan Orzo Soup

This soup can be made either vegetarian or vegan. It's warm, bright, and filling- perfect for a chilly winter day.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings: 6 Bowls
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 332
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup heavy cream or a vegan heavy cream substitute like coconut cream
  • 8 oz sliced mushrooms
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 3 cups spinach
  • 2 carrots sliced
  • ¼ cup diced onion
  • 6 cups vegetarian chicken broth I use Better Than Bullion’s No Chicken Chicken Broth. It's vegan.
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 cup orzo I use Barilla’s chickpea orzo for added protein
  • 6 oz soy curl chicken chopped up (or your favorite chicken substitute)
  • Juice from 1 lemon

Equipment

  • Dutch oven or other large pot

Method
 

  1. Cook your diced onion and carrots with a tiny bit of butter or oil in a large pot over medium heat for about 5 minutes until it becomes translucent and the carrots are softened a bit. Make sure to stir occasionally so they don’t stick to the bottom of your pot.
  2. Add your mushrooms to the pot with the onion and cook until they start to turn a nice golden brown, stirring to make sure they brown evenly on both sides and don’t stick.
  3. Add your garlic and thyme to the mushroom and onion mix and cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant. Be careful not to burn your garlic.
  4. Stir in the broth and heavy cream and bring to a simmer.
  5. Add in the orzo and cook according to package directions.
  6. If you're using a frozen chicken substitute, cook according to the package directions. If not, move on to the next step.
  7. Add in the soy curl chicken or chicken substitute, then add in the spinach and cook until the spinach starts to wilt and the soy curls are warm. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Remove from heat and add in the lemon juice, then serve warm.

Notes

Get all your ingredients together before you start cooking! You want to have your broth and heavy cream ready to go so your garlic doesn't burn and turn bitter.
If you’re using a frozen chicken substitute from the store, make sure you cook it according to the package directions before adding it to your soup. You don't want to end up overcooking your orzo trying to get your chicken to dethaw. If you aren't making this vegetarian or vegan and are using actual chicken, cook and shred it before adding it.