This cozy lemon orzo soup is the perfect way to warm up! Bursting with juicy mushrooms, tender veggies and zippy flavor, super easy to make, and naturally vegan, this stuff is perfect for lunch or dinner on chilly days.
This is about the time of year that I always start hearing people going on about how cold it is for spring. "Why hasn't it warmed up yet?" everyone wants to know.
We're only barely into spring. I mean, it was just winter less than two weeks ago. I get that everyone is excited about the prospect of warm weather, but let's be patient! (I do the pretty much the opposite in September, by the way — busting out the heavy sweaters and scarves and wondering why it's still eighty degrees.)
So for now, let's just deal with the lingering cold weather. Or even enjoy it. Soup always helps with that!
Spring Soup
This soup is lighter than one I might have posted a couple of months ago. Springy! But still hot and cozy and perfect for warming you up on those days you went out without a coat because you were in denial about the lingering cold weather. It's got a light herby flavor profile, and a nice dose of tangy lemon. All of which is perfect in a spring soup, if you ask me.
How to Make Mushroom Lemon Orzo Soup
You want to start by cooking your mushrooms. Cook them separately from everything else, so that they have plenty of room and cooking surface. If you crowd your mushrooms too much they won't brown.
I cooked my mushrooms in a separate skillet while I started my veggies in a pot, in the interest of saving time. If you're more interested in saving dishes, cook your mushrooms in the pot and then remove them while you cook your veggies.
Sweat your carrots, celery and onions for a few minutes, then add some garlic. Give the garlic a minute to cook, then stir in some broth, lemon juice, lemon zest and herbs. Add the cooked mushrooms to the pot at this point. Let everything simmer until the veggies start to soften up.
The orzo goes in last. Cook the soup for a few minutes more, just until the orzo is tender.
Tips for Making Awesome Lemon Orzo Soup
- Leftovers will keep for about 3 days in the refrigerator, but the orzo will continue to soak up broth over time, and you might not end up with much left. You can add some extra broth during reheating if you like.
- Not into mushrooms? Understood! Feel free to substitute your favorite veggies, like broccoli, cauliflower or zucchini. If you're going with a hard veggie like broccoli or cauliflower, add it to the pot along with the onions, carrots and celery. If using a softer veggie like zucchini, add it to the soup when you add the orzo.
- Want to make this soup gluten-free? Use gluten-free orzo, or any type of small gluten-free pasta.
- Want to add some protein and make the soup more meal-worthy? I added some diced up vegan sausage links to my last batch and it was great. Brown it in a skillet and stir it into the soup just before it's finished cooking.
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📖 Recipe
Mushroom Lemon Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 8 ounces white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 medium celery stalks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 5-6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus more to taste (I generally use about 3 tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ cup dried orzo pasta
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a large nonstick pot with 2 tablespoons of oil and place it over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms in an even layer. Cook the mushrooms for about 5 minutes, gently flip, and cook for about 5 minutes more, until they're browned on both sides.
- Remove the mushrooms from the pot and transfer them to a plate.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pot and give it a minute to heat up.
- When the oil is hot, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook the veggies, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften up.
- Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute more, until very fragrant.
- Stir in 5 cups of broth, lemon juice, zest, rosemary and thyme. Return the mushrooms to the pot.
- Raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil.
- Lower the heat to a simmer and allow the soup to cook for about 20 minutes, until the veggies are soft. Add more broth if the liquid reduces too much.
- Stir in the orzo and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes (refer to package instructions).
- Remove the pot from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more lemon juice if you like.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
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Does the 1100 mg + sodium basically come from the vegetable broth? I make my own no salt vegetable broth, that should pretty well cut sodium down to negligible right?
Yup, that's correct! Making your own broth or using a low sodium variety can cut it down by a lot.
Thank you, this is now a family favorite! I’ve even doubled the recipe for a dinner party, very well balanced.
This came out great. Will definitely be making it again. It's also great if you have digestive problems or an upset stomach. Very gentle yet incredibly flavorful recipe. So comforting.
I doubled the recipe so it would last for a week between 2 people along with some hearty crusty bread.
I sprayed the skillet with a cooking oil spray and 1/2 tablespoon of oil when I sauteed the mushrooms. Mushrooms are mostly water so when they cook, they give off a lot of liquid, which was left over when I removed the mushrooms from the pan and then put in the onion, carrots, and celery. I did the same with onion, carrots and celery, using cooking oil spray and a 1/2 tablespoon of oil. If you feel the oil enhances the flavor of the veggies, then by all means sautee them in the 3 tablespoons of oil, but if you're watching your weight, then it's not necessary, considering 3 tablespoons of oil is 360 calories.
I also used chicken broth instead of vegetable broth. Thanks so much for such a tasty satisfying recipe.
I have a question about the orzo. You say 1/2 a cup. Is that 4 ounces? Thanks
It's slightly over 3 ounces.
Love this recipe, made it for the first time. Made it in my instant pot. Turns out perfect.
Can't wait to make that recipe, again, for dinner; my favorite comfort soup, really really good...
Could this be made in a slow cooker?
I haven't tried, but I'm sure it could be! You could probably either sauté the veggies or just throw them all into the slow cooker at once (I usually do that for convenience when I'm using my slow cooker). The orzo can go in at the end and will probably take 10 to 15 minutes to cook. I'd love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
Another great recipe...joined it with some garlic naan and a salad for dinner.
Sounds like an excellent meal! Glad you enjoyed it!
I just made this and it’s great. Just wanted to let you know to add garlic to your instructions. It’s in your ingredient list but not the instructions for when you sauté the veggies :)
Whoops! Thanks for the head's up! And I'm so glad you enjoyed the soup!!
just made your mushroom,orzo soup on drizzly seattle evening,put a little cilantro and garlic chives on top. was as delicious as any other of your recipes i,ve tried,great job as always.
That sounds delicious! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Tracy!
This soup looks like the perfect transitional recipe between winter and spring! :)
My thoughts exactly! Thanks Sarah!
Have you tried freezing it? It looks like the perfect soup to have on hand when your not feeling well. Can’t wait to try it!
I haven't frozen this one, but I think it would work just fine! Enjoy!
Hi Alyssa,
My name is Bliss and I've been following your recipes!! I actually never cooked growing up, hating the aspect of standing over a stove. Even when I got married, my aversion to cooking meat was ridiculous.. Since I've been vegetarian and vegan I LOVE TO COOK -- even making recipes of my own. So I applaud you. This recipe you just posted has an excessive amount of salt in it. Where is the salt coming from?
Thanks so much Bliss! I'm so happy to hear that! Most of the salt is coming from the broth. This is the nutritional calculator I use for my recipes: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076 - the broth it selects by default is pretty high in sodium. You could try playing around with different brands or low sodium varieties to reduce salt content.
I use Bonafide Vegetable broth no salt added for all my soups. That way I can always ad salt to taste.