This simple orzo and tomato soup will make the easiest midweek meal. Packed with healthy vegetables and tender orzo, very budget friendly too!
Hello!
New week, new recipe! Despite the fact we've been enjoying exceptionally mild weather over the last week (hello 15 degrees Celsius!), winter is not over just yet. So I'm still loving all the cozy, hearty dishes, like homemade stews and soups.
Easy orzo and tomato soup
The idea for this super-easy and quick orzo and tomato soup was found in Good Food magazine. As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to try it. It was that chunky texture and simplicity that attracted me to it instantly. That and orzo. Because believe it or not, I never tried orzo before!
I've been seeing it everywhere lately, and I always wanted to cook with it, but it's just one of these things that never happened. I even bought big pack of it ages ago, and had it collecting dust in my kitchen cupboard for some time... So when I saw this recipe, I just knew the time has come to get that orzo out.
What is orzo?
I'm glad you've asked! In a simplest answer, orzo is a form of short-cut pasta, shaped like a large grain of rice. Fun, right? It can be served alone, as a side, or as a soup accompaniment. Orzo also works well added to salads, a pilaf or even baked in casserole. Usually it is made from white flour, but other varieties include whole-grain flour too. This little pasta is known for absorbing the liquid and the flavour of the dish.
How do I make this orzo and tomato soup?
It's super easy! This soup is made with 10 simple ingredients, and I bet that you have most of them in your kitchen already.
Start with chopping the onion and celery sticks into small cubes/ chunks. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan and add chopped onion and celery into it. Fry it until both become soft, which should take about 10 minutes. That was the hardest part of this recipe! All what's left, is add all the rest of the ingredients, apart from the basil pesto and remaining oil into the saucepan and simmer for about 6-8 minutes until orzo is tender.
Last thing to do is to top the soup up with mix of the remaining olive oil and basil pesto. It gives it that lovely, fresh and aromatic kick. Few fresh basil leaves on top will also fit nicely! Serve it with side of crusty bread for that ultimate dunking experience!
Can I make this soup in advance?
This orzo and tomato soup is best served fresh, but it can be prepared in advance and re-heated. What you need to remember is that orzo, as mentioned above, has these super-absorbing qualities, and it will suck in any liquid it is left in. So basically, you may find a big pot of pasta the next day, in place of your soup. But fear not, you can simply add more water/ stock to dilute it slightly, while re-heating it next day.
Thanks for reading today's post! I truly hope you will enjoy this recipe as much as I did!
As always, let me know what you think in the comments section, and feel free to share this recipe on Pinterest or on Facebook!
Orzo and tomato soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 medium celery sticks chopped
- 2 small garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- 400 g chopped tomatoes one can
- 400 g chickpeas one can
- 150 g orzo pasta
- 700 ml vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoon basil pesto (see notes)
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion and celery and fry for 10-15 minutes, or until soft. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in all the other ingredients, apart from pesto and remaining oil, and bring to boil.
- Reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 6-8 minutes, or until orzo is just tender. Season to taste and ladle to bowls. Stir in the remaining oil with pesto and drizzle over the soup. Serve with crusty bread on side.
Please note that all my recipes are developed and tested in metric grams. I recommend that you use digital scales for a more accurate results. I have provided a conversion to US customary in the recipe but please note that I haven’t tested using this method.
Notes
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Jo
I could use a bowl of delicious looking soup right now. It looks so hearty, delicious and filling. Love the colour of the soup
annabanana
thanks Jo, glad you like the recipe!
Kiki Johnson
Oh WOW this orzo soup looks perfect! I am having a friend visiting right now with her 1-year old and I have been on the lookout for simple and soft meals like this one that are not too spicy and apt for small kids! All three of us would LOVE this! Thanks for sharing
annabanana
Hey Kiki, thanks so much for your comment, I hope three of you will enjoy this soup as much as I do! Big hugs!
Natalie
I absolutely LOVE tomato soup. It's so healthy and so easy to make. I love your recipe and can't wait to give it a try. Love the addition of orzo. That's something new to me but I bet I'll like it.
annabanana
If you like pasta, then no doubt you will like orzo as well Natalie! Thanks so much for your kind words, hope you will enjoy the recipe!
Chef Markus Mueller
Orzo is so underrated! I love it! My personal favourite is using it in salads but it's so good in soups..nice and filling!
annabanana
Thank you Markus! I'm relatively new to orzo as an ingredient too, but already tried it in salad and it's amazing addition! Can't wait to explore it even more in the future!
michele
My favorite part of this soup was how you added the basil pesto a top of it.. it made a basic soup very gourmet! LOVE LOVE LOVED the whole recipe!
annabanana
Thank you so much Michele! What a lovely comment, really glad to hear that you like the recipe so much!
Lauren
I recently discovered how much I love orzo in soup! Being a lover of tomato soup, this dish sounds drool worthy. I love your photos too, so vivid! This recipe is going straight to the to do list.
annabanana
Aww thanks so much Lauren! Some people feel very strong about orzo and tomatoes (not in a good way!)... haha! I'm glad to hear that you like this combination, and I hope you will try it soon!
Julie
Oh man, I woke up with a bad cold and was JUST sitting here thinking that all I really want for dinner is a big bowl of soup. I can't wait to go home and see if we have any orzo on hand because this looks perfect!!
annabanana
Hi Julie! Thanks so much for your lovely comment! I hope you're feeling better now? And this soup is really great way to warm up with, especially if feeling a bit under the weather!
Jenni LeBaron
This soup looks absolutely gorgeous. I love that not only is there a base of umami rich tomato, but the texture from the orzo and the protein from the beans makes this so hearty!
annabanana
Hey Jenni, thanks so much for stopping by and your kind comment! All these ingredients work so well together, and they really do compliment each other flavours! Glad you like it too!
Analida Braeger
Wow this looks so fresh and healthy. Tomato soup is one of my favorites and I like the addition of orzo to bulk it up a bit.
annabanana
Thanks Analinda! Orzo adds a wonderful texture to this soup, I'm really glad you like it too!
Bianca Zapatka
This soup looks so delicious and comforting! Love Tomatoes so much! Great recipe, Anna! ??
annabanana
Hey gorgeous! Great to see you here again! And I do love them too, I really dream of having my own garden where I can grow ALL the vegetables and fruits!
Denise
This is one incredible looking soup! It is definitely something I would make often. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
annabanana
You're welcome Denise, I'm happy to hear that you like the recipe!
Gloria
I could use a bowl of this right now. It is snowing here AGAIN. Nothing warms you up better from the cold than a bowl of homemade soup.
annabanana
Hey Gloria! Gosh, you guys been getting so much snow this year! We've had one day (!!!) of snow this winter, and I can already smell Spring in the air... Hope it will get to you soon enough! In a meantime... this is a great winter warmer 😉
Tania | Fit Foodie Nutter
What a great looking soup it is Anna! Can you believe it - I've never tried orzo rice before and I had no idea it was made from pasta! Will definitely be sure to try this easy yet nutritious recipe my dear! Have a great day x
annabanana
hey Tania! Thanks so much for stopping by! If you never tried it, you're up for a treat! It's such a great ingredient to cook with, and it absorbs the flavours so well! I can't get enough of it at the moment! Sending big hugs!