This Vegan Chickpea Orzo Soup is vegan, creamy, healthy and takes 30 minutes to make! Tender chickpeas and orzo and the warming flavors of sage in a creamy broth that feels indulgent and rich but is secretly healthy!
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Packed with orzo, chickpeas, a mirepoix of veggies, garlic, sage and made super creamy with a simple blend of cashews, this is my favorite vegan chickpea orzo soup recipe!
This vegan orzo soup is perfect for any weeknight meal or side dish. It's made oil-free, healthy and best of all takes less than 30 minutes.
My favorite thing about this soup is the deeply creamy broth. One bite in any you'll feel like you're indulging in a soup full of heavy cream and butter, but this soup is not-so-secretly healthy! We're keeping this recipe completely dairy free.
Grab your family and your favorite crusty bread or cornbread and dig into this hearty and comforting soup!
Ingredients to gather
In this recipe onion, carrot, celery and garlic are water sautéed and then simmered with orzo, chickpeas spinach and cashew cream to make a flavorful and rich vegan soup that you can enjoy in less than 30 minutes!
Here's what you'll grab:
- sweet onion
- carrot
- celery
- garlic
- black pepper
- dried sage
- red pepper flakes
- vegetable broth
- orzo
- raw cashews
- unsweetened soy milk
- chickpeas
- baby spinach
Top Tips
The cashews will add a deep richness to this soup. If you don't have any available or have an allergy, this soup can be enjoyed without them and will still be delicious!
For the broth, I like to use a combination of water and broth to keep the sodium as low as possible. I use this Vegetable Broth Base in most of my soups and I will do about half water and half broth. If using this Better than Bouillion for this recipe, I would recommend using about 3 teaspoons and then adjusting salt to your taste at the end of cooking.
How to make Vegan Chickpea Orzo Soup
Water sauté the prepared onions, celery and carrots for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute, stirring occasionally.
How to water sauté- Add vegetables to pot over medium-low heat stirring occasionally. If any sticking starts add 1-2 tablespoons of water or broth to pot and continue cooking.
Season and Simmer - Add in spices and broth and bring to a low boil. Mix in orzo and cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent orzo from sticking, until the pasta is cooked and veggies are tender.
Blend the cashews - if using cashews (highly recommend) take this time to add your softened cashews to a blender with the soy milk and blend until completely smooth and no pieces remain.
How to soften your cashews- The easiest way to get a smooth cashew cream is by softening your cashews before blending. Do this by either soaking overnight OR if you didn't plan ahead simply add them to a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil for about 10 minutes. Drain them well and cool them down by running under cold water before adding to blender.
Finishing Touches- Once the orzo is cooked, add chickpeas, cashew cream (or just soy milk if skipping the cashews) and spinach. Stir until spinach is wilted and remove from heat. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve!
Equipment
I've used my Vitamix One blender and my Ninja Bullet attachment for the cashew cream and both give great results.
Storage
Store any leftover soup in the fridge for 5-6 days in a sealed container.
Reheat on the stovetop over low heat until warmed throughout. You could alternatively use the microwave as well in 60 second increments, stirring in between.
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! Take a picture and tag me on Instagram @samcookskindness !
Recipe
Vegan Chickpea Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- 1 small sweet onion, chopped small
- 1 large carrot, chopped small
- 2 ribs celery, chopped small
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 teaspoons dried sage
- ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 5½ cups vegetable broth
- ¾ cup dry orzo
- ⅓ cup raw cashews (optional) soaked overnight or boiled for 10 minutes
- ¾ cup unsweetened soy milk
- 1 can chickpeas 15.5oz drained
- 2 large handfuls baby spinach
Instructions
- Add chopped onion, celery and carrots to a large pot over medium heat. Sauté with a splash of water for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in sage, red pepper flakes and vegetable broth and bring mixture to a low boil. Add orzo and cook for 7 minutes or until orzo and veggies are tender, stirring occasionally.
- If using cashews, take this time to add cashews and soy milk to a blender and process until completely smooth and creamy and no chunks of cashew remain. Take breaks to push down sides if needed.
- Once orzo is cooked, add chickpeas, cashew cream (or just soy milk if omitting cashews) and spinach. Stir until spinach is wilted and remove from heat. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve!
Amita says
Yummy. I love Orzo. I really like your tips of using Cashews and Water - Broth combination. Going to try it tomorrow.
Sam says
Thanks so much Amita! I hope you enjoy the soup!