Greek Lemon Orzo Soup
This Greek lemon orzo soup is my plant-based love letter to classic avgolemono. Bright, comforting, and deeply nourishing, it features a creamy tahini-infused broth, tender vegetables, hearty beans, and chewy orzo, and is finished with plenty of fresh lemon and dill for a refreshing Mediterranean-inspired meal. It’s hearty yet light, satisfying without feeling heavy, and packed with wholesome ingredients, making it perfect for weeknight dinners, meal prep, or serving a gathering on a special occasion.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
High in Plant Protein and Fiber – Thanks to a smart balance of plant-based ingredients, this lemon chicken orzo soup is the definition of nourishing comfort. Chickpeas bring in a solid protein boost, while white beans add a generous dose of fiber that helps keep you full longer. Orzo gives the soup that cozy, satisfying texture you crave, making every spoonful feel substantial.
Dairy-Free Yet Creamy – Traditional Avgolemono relies on a lemon-egg mixture for richness and body. In this vegan avgolemono, tahini works its magic, creating that creamy, silky broth. It emulsifies beautifully into the broth, giving you that signature creamy mouthfeel, just in a completely dairy-free, egg-free way variation.
Bursting with Bright Citrus Flavor – This Greek lemon soup with orzo truly shines because of its bold lemony backbone. The fresh citrus cuts through the richness, bringing everything to life and making the broth fragrant, vibrant, and deeply satisfying. The bright lemony broth makes it a stick-to-the-ribs kind of a meal, especially when you are feeling a little under the weather. But I promise, you’ll keep coming back to this lemon chickpea orzo soup all year long.
Filling and Comforting Without Being Heavy – Creamy soups can sometimes feel overly rich, but lemon changes everything in this Greek lemon orzo soup recipe. It lightens the broth, keeping it fresh and lively. The soup filling, and deeply satisfying—without leaving you sluggish or overly full afterward.
Easy, One-Pot Soup Recipe – This plant-based avgolemono soup is one of those recipes that’s just as easy to whip up in one pot with very simple ingredients for a weeknight dinner as it is to serve to company. Make a big batch — it disappears fast.
How to Make Greek Lemon Orzo Soup
- Build the Flavor Base
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, glossy, and fragrant.
- Add Garlic
Stir in the garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes, just until fragrant. Be careful not to brown it—garlic should be aromatic, not bitter.
- Simmer the Soup
Add the water, vegan chicken broth, salt, oregano, tahini, chickpeas, and white beans. Stir well to fully incorporate the tahini into the broth. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.
- Prepare the Vegan Chicken
While the soup simmers, cook the vegan chicken in a separate pan according to package instructions until golden brown. Slice it into strips and add it to the soup.
- Cook the Orzo Separately
Cook the orzo in salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside. Adding orzo directly to the pot can cause it to absorb too much liquid over time, so this step is key for great leftovers.
- Finish with Lemon and Greens
Stir lemon juice, chopped spinach, and plenty of black pepper into the soup. Taste and adjust seasoning. The soup should be vibrant, lemony, and boldly peppery.
- Serve
Add cooked orzo to individual bowls, ladle the soup over top, and garnish with fresh dill or parsley.
Recipe Tips for Greek Lemon Orzo Soup
Cook the Orzo separately for the best texture: Orzo loves to soak up liquid, so cooking it on its own and adding it to each bowl just before serving keeps the soup perfectly brothy—even the next day.
Don’t Skimp on the Olive Oil: The secret to Greek cooking is that there is no such thing as too much olive oil! It brings in that authentic flavour and adds a lot of flavour to the dish.
Make it Gluten-free: To make gluten free Greek lemon orzo soup, simply swap the regular orzo for gluten-free orzo. You can also substitute rice (white or brown) for a more traditional Avgolemono-style texture. Just cook it separately and add when serving.
No vegan chicken? No problem: This soup is incredibly flexible. If you skip the vegan chicken, add an extra can of chickpeas or white beans for more plant protein, or use cubed tofu for a heartier bite that still absorbs all those bright, lemony flavors.
Adjust the creaminess to your liking: Love an extra-rich, velvety broth? Increase the tahini to ⅔ cup for an ultra-luxurious, restaurant-worthy texture. For best results, whisk the tahini with a bit of warm broth before adding it to the pot to ensure a smooth finish.
More Vegan Recipes You’ll Love
Coconut Thai Curry Noodle Soup (High Protein)
Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup (High Protein)
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Greek Lemon Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 white onion
- 4 carrots
- 3 stalks of celery
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 10 cups of water
- 2 tbsp vegan chicken broth
- ½ – 1 tsp salt to taste
- 1 tbsp oregano
- ½ cup tahini
- 1 can chickpeas drained
- 1 can white beans drained
- Large handful of chopped spinach
- Juice of 3 large lemons
- Lots of black pepper
- 300 g Orzo
- 227 g Vegan Chicken (1 package of Daring Chicken)
- Fresh dill for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery, and cook for 5–7 minutes, until the veggies are soft and fragrant.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes, just until fragrant. Be careful not to brown it—garlic should be aromatic, not bitter.
- Add the water, vegan chicken broth, salt, oregano, tahini, chickpeas, and white beans. Stir well to fully incorporate the tahini into the broth. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.
- While the soup simmers, cook the vegan chicken in a separate pan according to package instructions until golden brown. Slice it into strips and add it to the soup.
- Cook the orzo separately and add it to individual bowls when serving instead of mixing it directly into the pot—this helps the soup stay fresh and prevents it from soaking up too much liquid.
- Stir lemon juice, chopped spinach, and plenty of black pepper into the soup. Taste and adjust seasoning. The soup should be vibrant, lemony, and boldly peppery.
- Serve with fresh dill or parsley and enjoy!