Vegan lemon chickpea orzo soup is inspired by the Greek egg and lemon soup called avgolemono. While I love a good chickpea noodle soup, I wanted to change it up by using lemon and orzo like the classic Mediterranean recipe.
Easy to make in about 30 minutes, it turns out wonderfully creamy thanks to raw cashews. Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest give it bright, vibrant flavor.
Once you try this satisfying stovetop soup, it may become one of your favorite vegan recipes with orzo.
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This soup was a hit with my family! It's so filling and delicious, and really does taste like Greek avgolemono soup!
- Jen K.
Ingredients
- Lemon: Fresh is best since you'll need both the zest and juice.
- Orzo: I use a gluten-free one made from a blend of rice and corn.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
How to make vegan chickpea orzo soup
- Saute the onion in olive oil until soft and slightly translucent.
- Add the garlic, carrots, and celery, and saute for a couple more minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth, bay leaf, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Bring to a gentle boil, then add the garbanzo beans and orzo. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is al dente.
- Stir in the cashew cream (blend the raw cashews with water until smooth). Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve.
Serving suggestions
This recipe makes enough for four small starter servings or two large meal-size bowls. I love it with warm sourdough bread.
Vegan lemon chickpea orzo soup also pairs well with simple vegetable salads such as Mediterranean cucumber and tomato salad or green pepper and tomato salad.
If you enjoy this soup, try my pesto white bean orzo soup or lemon potato and chickpea soup next.
Made this recipe or have a question? Please leave a comment below. 💙 For even more recipes, join the Veggies Save The Day community. It's less like a newsletter and more like emails between friends.
Love and Veggies,
Amy
📋 Recipe
Creamy Vegan Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup
Equipment
- high speed blender
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup carrots, diced
- ½ cup celery, diced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ cup raw cashews*
- ½ cup water
- 1-15 ounce can chickpeas, (1½ cups) rinsed and drained
- ⅓ cup orzo, (gluten-free, if necessary)
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Add the onion and saute for a few minutes until soft and slightly translucent. Then add the garlic and saute for 30 more seconds. Next add the carrots and celery and saute about 2 more minutes until the vegetables are soft.½ cup onion, 2 cloves garlic, ½ cup carrots, ½ cup celery
- Add the vegetable broth, bay leaf, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the pot with the vegetables and bring to a boil.4 cups vegetable broth, 1 bay leaf, 1 Tablespoon lemon zest, 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
- Meanwhile, blend the cashews and water in a high-speed blender until completely smooth. Set aside.½ cup raw cashews*, ½ cup water
- Once the soup has come to a boil, add the chickpeas and orzo to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is cooked al dente.1-15 ounce can chickpeas, ⅓ cup orzo
- Stir in the cashew mixture and add salt and pepper to taste.salt and pepper
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation.
Jen King says
This soup was a hit with my family! It’s so filling and delicious, and really does taste like Greek avgolemono soup!
Gianna says
Thank you very much for sharing this simple & delicious recipe. Our family loved it... Gone in 60 seconds! 😁
You are the best. Thank you from Manila,Philippines 🥰
Amy Katz says
So glad everyone enjoyed it, Gianna!
MARYELLEN GLORIE says
This was delicious! I wouldn't change a thing, except to double it next time. 🙂
Amy Katz says
Thank you so much, MaryEllen! I'm so happy you enjoyed it.
Joanne says
Thank you for this recipe, I’m excited to try it! I’ve always loved avogolemono soup and have been trying to find a way to make it vegan.
Amy Katz says
I hope you enjoy it!
sheila says
One of my favorite soups is Greek Avgolemono soup. Since it's made with chicken, I haven't been able to eat it since my body can no longer process meat. I was ecstatic to find a vegan substitute. This was beyond delicious. I followed the recipe exactly and it was so much better than I expected.
Thank you for coming up with an alternative to the meat version. I can finally enjoy my favorite soup again!!
Amy Katz says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Sheila!
Jess says
I added dried oregano to taste and it was delicious!
Amy Katz says
That's wonderful to hear, thank you Jess!
Laura Walker says
This looks yummy, but I can’t have nuts of any kind. Is there a substitute or can they be left out?
Thanks!
Amy Katz says
Thank you, Laura! You can either leave them out and enjoy it as a clear broth soup. Or you can use a little canned coconut milk if you're not allergic. Other options would be some pureed white beans or some unsweetened plain soy milk.
Phyl Cable says
I think this would be good with a little spinach thrown in too.
Amy Katz says
Absolutely!
Rick Sturgis says
Excellent
Julie says
I made this without onion, garlic or celery. I can't eat those particular items right now. I added extra carrots to make up for those items. In the future when I can add those back to my diet I will try this with all of the ingredients. Until then I will enjoy it this way because I loved this one!
Amy Katz says
I'm so happy to hear it, Julie!