Description
Curl up with a bowl of this cozy Vegan Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup! Freshly squeezed lemon juice, tender orzo pasta, juicy vegan chicken, and fresh herbs and spinach all combined in a savory vegan chicken soup broth. Ready for the dinner table in 40 minutes or less.
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 (8-ounce) bag vegan chicken
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 ribs celery, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, peeled & chopped finely
- Optional: ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 8 cups vegan chicken broth
- 8 ounces uncooked orzo
- 1/2 tablespoon white miso
- Handful of fresh spinach
- Optional: ¼ to 1/2 lemon, zested (to taste)
- Juice of ½ lemon, or to taste
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Garnish:
- Chopped fresh parsley
- Lemon wedges
- Crackers or bread
Instructions
- Brown the vegan chicken. In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of vegan butter. Add in the vegan chicken and sauté until browned and crispy on the edges. Remove the chicken and set aside and cool. If the vegan chicken is in large pieces, cut it into bite-sized pieces.
- Sauté the aromatics. Add the remaining vegan butter to the pan, then add in the celery, carrots, and onions. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, and Italian seasoning, and sauté for 1 additional minute.
- Add flour. Stir in the flour, coating all of the vegetables, and cook for about 1 minute to hydrate.
- Add vegan chicken broth. Pour in the vegan chicken broth, and stir until the flour has dissolved, then bring the soup broth to a boil.
- Stir in the chicken and orzo. Once the soup broth is boiling, stir in the orzo pasta and vegan chicken cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Cook for 9 minutes, or until the orzo is tender. When the orzo is ready, it should be the same texture as al dente pasta. Once cooked, remove the bay leaves and reduce the pot to low heat.
- Whisk in the miso paste and the remaining ingredients. Remove about 1/4 cup of the chicken soup broth from the pot and add it to a small bowl. Whisk in the miso paste until smooth, then add the miso mixture to the soup along with a handful of fresh spinach, lemon zest, lemon juice, a handful of fresh parsley, and vegan parmesan.
- Season and serve. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, then serve immediately with vegan crackers or bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- Gluten-free: This soup can be made gluten-free by using gluten-free flour, gluten-free pasta and a gluten-free vegan chicken.
- Storage: Leftover soup will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Freezing: We don’t recommend freezing this soup as pasta doesn’t tend to freeze well.
- Reheating: Reheat soup in the microwave or in a small pot on the stovetop until warmed through. Avoid over-reheating, as this can overcook the pasta and make it mushy.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Soup
- Method: Stovetop