Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup Ingredients
• How to Make It
• Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup Variations
• Other Vegetarian Pasta Soup Recipes

• Jump Right to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read the Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

For awhile now, I’ve been dreaming of a sort of comforting lemony chicken soup situation … but with chickpeas instead of chicken because, you know, I’m a vegetarian and all that.

After I recovered from pneumonia, I finally worked up enough energy to make it happen yesterday and oh. Oh my. This Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup hit it out of the park.

This bright and comforting chickpea orzo soup reminds me a bit of this chickpea and rice soup, but this Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup comes across, to me, as a bit more special.

First, I keep the veggies a bit chunkier than my norm, with the goal of everything being about the same size as the chickpeas. It makes for a heartier soup with nice consistent bites.

But what happens to this bad boy at the end of the process is really where it’s at, because you stir in a bunch of freshly squeezed lemon juice and toss in a big handful of fresh dill and oh mama! Totally the clincher.

Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup Ingredients

• Olive oil – for sautéing the veggies which squeezes out so much flavor!
• Leek, carrot, and celery – You can substitute onion or scallions for the leek if you like! I just love how the leek adds mild oniony flavor and brings something a little more special to the table.
• Garlic – Two cloves, please, for maximum garlic flavor!
• Turmeric – I love adding turmeric to my brothy vegetarian soup recipes. It adds a bit of comforting color and a tiny kick.
• Vegetable broth – I like to use low-sodium veg broth so I can control the salt level of the recipe.
• Chickpeas – One can, or two cups cooked.
• Orzo – The tiny pasta is so good in soup!
• Salt & pepper – Because you can’t not.
• Fresh dill – SO GOOD in this recipe. Don’t skip it!
• Lemon – The acid brightens up this soup and makes it sing!

How to Make It

This Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup comes together so quickly on the stovetop!

Set a medium soup pot over low heat and sweat the veggies by sauteeing them low and slow until tender.

Add the garlic and turmeric and stir until fragrant.

Stir in the broth, chickpea, orzo, salt, and pepper. Increase the heat to get the flavors amplified and cook the pasta.

Then simply remove the soup from the heat and stir in all that aromatic fresh dill and the generous squeeze of lemon. And serve! YUM.

Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup Variations

• Use different beans: Use this basic formula but mix it up by swapping the chickpeas for another white bean like navy beans or cannellini beans.
• Nix the pasta: If you’re not feeling the pasta or can’t find orzo, you can stir in some cooked rice or quinoa.
• Swap the pasta: You can also add another small pasta like ditalini, stars, or alphabet pasta would be fun!

Other Vegetarian Pasta Soup Recipes

• This Vegetarian Chicken Noodle Soup is the chickpea noodle soup that most resembles classic chicken noodle. Perfect for a cold!
• This broth soba noodle soup with coconut milk, ginger, and turmeric is packed with spicy-savory flavor and is so healing.
• Thai Green Curry Noodle Soup is SUCH an easy soup recipe!
• Hearty Vegetarian Pasta e Fagioli with rosemary, garlic, and smoked paprika is a family fave!
• Vegetarian Minestrone Soup with pasta, beans, and veggies, and a parmesan-enhanced broth for SO MUCH FLAVOR.

Print

Lemony Chickpea Soup with Orzo & Dill Recipe

A hearty squeeze of lemon and loads of fresh dill liven up this chunky veggie, orzo, & chickpea soup.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 286kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium leek halved and sliced – about 1 cup chopped
• 1 medium carrot medium dice – about 1/2 cup
• 1 medium stalk celery sliced – about 1/2 cup
• 2 medium cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 15 ounces cooked chickpeas 1 can, drained and rinsed
• 1/3 cup uncooked orzo
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper + more to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh dill chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon about 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

• Set a medium soup pot over low heat. Add olive oil, leeks, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Add garlic and turmeric and cook, stirring frequently, for one more minute.
• Add the vegetable broth, chickpeas, orzo, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Stir to combine. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until the orzo is tender, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat. Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir in the dill. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired (I add at least another 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt, but I like things on the salty side.)
• Serve with additional dill as garnish.

Notes

Note that this soup actually doesn’t keep all that well because the orzo continues to cook and swell up. It’s still perfectly edible, but the soup thickens quite a bit after it sits. If you want to make it ahead, I suggest cooking it up to the point where you add the orzo. When reheating, bring to a boil, add the orzo, and continue from there.

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Nutrition

Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 313mg | Potassium: 434mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 671IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 4mg

The post Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup Recipe appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

Butternut squash is hugely rich in beta carotene (Vitamin A) – and it tastes pretty great, too. The tart-sweet apples provide a perfect counter to the vitamin-rich squash, and the duo is joined deliciously by leeks, sage, and Parmesan. I love the simplicity of this recipe – with relatively few ingredients, each flavor shines, yet comes together perfectly.

Tastes great? Check. Healthy? Check!

Print

Apple, Butternut Squash, and Leek Gratin

A super simple yet divine side perfect for cozy fall dinners or even your Thanksgiving table.

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 leeks green portion cut off, washed well and cut into skinny lengthwise strips
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried
• One pound butternut squash peeled, seeded, and sliced into 1/8 inch rounds
• One pound apples I suggest McIntosh, Gala, or Macoun, peeled, cut in half, cored, and sliced 1/8 inch thick
• 1 cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a medium saute pan over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• Add the leeks, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and saute over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 – 12 minutes until they start to brown.
• Stir in the sherry and fresh sage, and continue cooking for about another 3 minutes, until the sherry has reduced.
• In a casserole dish (2 quart size preferably), lay all the butternut squash on the bottom. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the squash.
• Cover with the leeks.
• Lay the apples on the leeks. If, unlike me, you have an actual apple corer, you can probably make these look waaaay prettier.
• Brush the apples with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Sprinkle on the Parmesan.
• Cover the dish with foil, and bake for 45 minutes, or until the apples and squash are easily pierced with a fork.
• Increase the oven heat to 450 degrees. Uncover the dish, and bake for another 10 minutes or so, until top is nicely browned.
• Let cool for 5-10 minutes.

The post Apple, Butternut Squash, and Leek Gratin appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.