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Gluten Free Vegan Lemon Orzo Soup Recipe [oil-free]

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This Gluten Free Vegan Lemon Orzo Soup recipe is one of the best soups to make when you’re craving something deliciously comforting. Made with chickpeas for protein and a gluten free orzo simmered into a flavorful broth and filled with veggies, this is one recipe you do not want to miss! Be sure to keep this lemony recipe around when you’re feeling a bit under the weather, or for when you just want a soup with simple yet delicious flavors.

Keep reading for the full recipe, ingredient suggestions, and troubleshooting tips or use the jump to recipe button below to go straight to the recipe!


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Why you’ll love this Greek lemon orzo soup:

  • You can still have the flavors of this classic Greek soup on a gluten free and vegan diet, and even get a protein punch from the chickpeas!
  • This gluten free orzo nicely retains its texture for an easy and flavorful vegetable orzo soup recipe.
  • The lemony chickpea soup is so fresh and flavorful resulting in a light and bright soup that is totally refreshing!
bowl of vegan chickpea soup with lemon slices and tea towel

Is orzo gluten free?

Traditional orzo is a pasta made with wheat flour.  Many recipes substitute rice for orzo (and you can in this recipe too), but I don’t find it’s a close enough substitute to really satisfy!

Other recipes may sub cauliflower rice, which does add more vegetables, but again, in this recipe we’re going for a more traditional Greek orzo soup flavor.

In this vegetarian orzo soup recipe, we use an actual gluten-free orzo.

I used Jovial’s Cassava orzo, which actually makes this Greek orzo soup grain free!

Jovial Cassava Orzo in box with other ingredients in background

You can find Jovial’s Cassava orzo at Thrive Market here or Amazon here, but I haven’t seen it in my local grocery stores yet.

Learn more about gluten free orzo substitutes in this post.

Ingredients for gluten free orzo soup:

It only takes a few ingredients to make this soup with orzo and chickpeas–some which you likely already have on hand!

You should be able to find many of these ingredients at your local grocery store (use the instacart button in the recipe card to add them to your grocery delivery easily), but you can also find great deals on some of the specialty ingredients like gluten free orzo online through Thrive Market.

Learn more about why I love Thrive Market here, or you can snag a promotional link to receive up to 25% off your first order plus a free gift by clicking here!

Ingredients for lemon orzo soup vegetables, seasonings, broth chickpeas, gluten free orzo

To make this vegetable soup with orzo you’ll need:

How to make vegan orzo soup:

Making this soup is so simple and it takes less than 30 minutes!

First, saute onion and carrot until onions are translucent. You can use cooking spray or 1 tbsp of olive oil to do this, or a few tbsp of water if you are oil-free.

cooking carrots onion and other vegetables for vegetable soup with orzo

This only takes about 5 minutes.

Next you’ll add the garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper and saute for another minute until aromatic.

Then you’ll add the chickpeas and vegetable broth, heating until it comes to a boil.

Once it starts to boil, stir in the orzo and reduce the heat to medium-low.  Let it simmer until your orzo is done.  

pouring gluten free orzo into pot of soup on stove

Finally, take the soup off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and spinach until the spinach wilts.  Add salt & pepper to taste.

Adding spinach into lemon chickpea soup in pot

Make it Creamy

This step is optional, but if you want a creamy vegan lemon orzo soup recipe, do this!  While waiting for the soup to boil, take out about 2 cups of the soup and blend with an immersion blender for a few seconds until blended smooth, and then stir back into the main soup pot.

bowl of vegan chickpea soup with lemon slices and tea towel

What to serve with chickpea lemon soup

This soup really has everything you need in it for a perfectly balanced meal: plant based protein, complex carbohydrates, and vegetables.  

But if you want to add something to it, I recommend a green salad or an allergy friendly baguette like these from BFree. 

Shop BFree Allergen Free Bread on Amazon here.

How do you store chickpea orzo soup? 

This lemon orzo soup can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container and reheated the next day.  HOWEVER, the texture will change.  The cassava orzo will continue to absorb the liquid from the soup, so you will definitely need to add more liquid to reheat.  

Personally, I think this soup should be eaten the same day for best results.  

If you won’t eat the whole recipe, halve it.

Keep reading for the printable recipe

landscape orzo soup image of spoon scooping soup out of the bowl
bowl of vegan chickpea soup with lemon slices and tea towel

Gluten Free Vegan Lemon Orzo Soup

This lemon orzo soup is both gluten free and vegan but has all the classic flavors of a traditional Greek soup with additional protein from the chickpeas!
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 4 servings
Calories 300 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 large pot
  • 1 immersion blender optional

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 medium onion diced
  • 2 carrots diced
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 6 cups vegetable broth (or water + bouillon)
  • 1 box gluten free orzo
  • 30 oz canned chickpeas (2-15oz cans) drained & rinsed
  • 2 lemons juiced
  • 2 handfuls fresh baby spinach

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot, sauté the onion and carrot in a few tablespoons of water (or 1 tbsp of olive oil if not oil-free) on medium high heat until onions are translucent.  This should take about 5 minutes.
  • Add the garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper and sauté for 1 more minute.
  • Add the chickpeas and vegetable broth and bring to a boil.
  • If you want a creamier soup, while waiting for the soup to boil, take out about 2 cups of the soup and blend with an immersion blender for a few seconds until blended smooth, and then stir back into the main soup pot.
  • Once boiling, stir in the orzo and reduce the heat to medium-low.  Simmer for 14 minutes, or until your orzo is done. 
  • Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and spinach until the spinach wilts.  Add salt & pepper to taste.

Notes

note: nutrition information is provided as a courtesy, but may not accurately reflect the final nutrition composition of your final dish depending on ingredients, substitutions, and serving size.
 
see the full blog post above post for:
  • ingredient and equipment suggestions & substitutions,
  • troubleshooting tips, and
  • frequently asked questions
Keyword chickpeas, gluten free baking, gluten free dairy free, gluten free orzo, gluten free soup, gluten free vegan, gluten free vegan soup, lemon, lemon orzo soup

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pin image for lemon orzo soup with bowl of orzo soup with lemons and gluten free orzo poured into soup

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Recipe Rating




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Jasmine

Wednesday 6th of September 2023

Love this soup so much! It's getting colder now and we've already made this twice! I squeezed extra lemons into my bowl. So good!

Sharon McCaskill

Tuesday 26th of September 2023

so happy you enjoyed it!

Maggie

Wednesday 2nd of August 2023

I finally got my hands on some gluten free orzo and I had no idea what to make with it. I'm so glad we decided on this soup - it was so good! I was skeptical of the lemon but it really made it exceptional. Next time I might add leftover shredded chicken instead of chickpeas.

Ruby

Wednesday 21st of June 2023

I tried the optional step to blend a portion of the soup. Wow! it created such a delightful creaminess that added another layer of enjoyment to the dish.

Mary

Friday 26th of May 2023

Made this one night for dinner. Healthy and tasty, a total win!

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