The secret to making this lemony chickpea orzo soup creamy isn’t dairy—you actually get that creaminess from pureeing a bit of the soup with some tahini. This is one soup we make often as the cold weather settles in.
Soup season is here again and I was so excited to bring this lemony chickpea orzo soup back into my dinner rotation. The combo of lemon and fresh dill is so good in this one I recently shared this one on social media as the latest in my No Boring Beans series and you all loved it just as much!
The secret to making this one creamy isn’t dairy—you actually get that creaminess from pureeing a bit of the soup with some tahini. Another reason I love this soup is that the orzo cooks right in the pot alongside the rest of the soup so there’s no need for a second pot. Plus, that lets the orzo soak up as much flavor from the soup broth as possible.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s a basic rundown of some of the key ingredients you’ll need for this orzo soup recipe. See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredient list and amounts you’ll need.
- Olive Oil: You’ll use a bit of oil to sauté the mirepoix and then I like to drizzle a bit on top of the soup when serving as well but that step is optional.
- Onion, Carrots, Celery: The classic combo of veggies or mirepoix is what you’ll use to flavor the base of this soup recipe.
- Broth: You’ll need 2 cartons of broth for this recipe. A few years ago, I ditched the cartons of broth and started using Better Than Bouillon’s vegetarian no-chicken broth which comes in a jar. The paste is so flavorful and tastes better than the carton stuff in my opinion. So I use that for this soup now!
- Chickpeas: Canned chickpeas are a convenient option for soup. I just drain, rinse, and dump in the pot. I like the texture of the chickpeas in this soup since they have more bite than other beans.
- Orzo: The shape of the orzo works well in this recipe and it cooks a little faster than other shapes.
- Tahini: Adds some nutty flavor and creaminess to this soup. Some brands are a little more bitter than others. If you feel like the finished soup is a little bitter, add more lemon! The lemon helps balance it out. I also found that the flavor of the tahini is tamer when you reheat the soup the next day.
- Kale: Adds lovely color alongside a ton of nutrients too.
- Lemon: Use fresh lemon rather than pre-squeezed lemon juice for this recipe for the best flavor. Adding a bit of zest too adds more lemon flavor. Since the amount of juice per lemon varies, I usually start with one and taste the soup but sometimes I add another 1/2 to whole squeezed lemon.
- Dill: Don’t skip the fresh dill! It adds a lovely fresh flavor to the overall soup and complements the lemon so well. I am hooked on using fresh dill in soup after I made this creamy celery soup for the blog.
Variations and Substitutions
Use a different bean: If you don’t have chickpeas, you can swap them for white beans like cannellini or great northern beans.
Try a different pasta shape: if you don’t have orzo, you can substitute with a different pasta shape. I’d reach for smaller shapes rather than larger ones.
Tahini substitute: if you don’t have tahini on hand, you can skip it. Pureeing 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the soup adds lots of creaminess.
How to Make this Chickpea Orzo Soup
Sauté the Mirepoix: Heat oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and thyme; cook 1 more minute, until aromatic.
Add Broth, Chickpeas and Orzo: Add broth and increase heat to bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling, add chickpeas and orzo. Simmer soup over medium-high heat, uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until the orzo is al dente. Reduce heat to low.
Puree some Soup: Remove about 1 1/2 cups of soup and add to a blender with the tahini. Puree until smooth then pour back into the pot. (Or use an immersion blender to partially puree the soup.)
Finish with Kale and Lemon: Add kale and continue to cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until greens are wilted.
Stir in juice and zest from 1 lemon (taste and add more from second lemon if needed), fresh dill and taste/adjust seasonings as needed. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with extra fresh dill, cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.
Storage
Fridge: Allow the soup to cool slightly before storing in airtight containers in the fridge. Leftover sop can be stored for 3-4 days in the fridge. The orzo does soak up some broth as it sits so you can add a splash more broth when reheating if you want to thin it out again.
Freezer: freezing can change the texture of the orzo so sometimes it can get a little mushy when reheating. In my experience, I thought it was still tasty after freezing. If you’re worried about freezing it, you could make it until the orzo step then add cooked orzo when you thaw and prepare the soup later.
More Soup Recipes You’ll Love
Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 4 stalks celery, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 quarts low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cans (15.5 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3/4 cup dry orzo pasta regular or whole-wheat
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 3 kale, chopped sub spinach, Swiss Chard, or escarole
- 1-2 lemons depends how juicy they are
- 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and thyme; cook 1 more minute, until aromatic.
- Add broth and increase heat to bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling, add the chickpeas and orzo. Simmer soup over medium-high heat, uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until the orzo is al dente. Reduce heat to low.
- Remove about 1 1/2 cups of soup and add to a blender with the tahini. Puree until smooth then pour back into the pot. (Or use an immersion blender to partially puree the soup.)
- Add kale and continue to cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until greens are wilted.
- Stir in juice and zest from 1 lemon (taste and add more from second lemon if needed), fresh dill and taste/adjust seasonings as needed. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with extra fresh dill, cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.
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