January 16, 2020
Lemon Dill Chickpea and Orzo Soup
Give yourself a break in the kitchen and make a big ass pot of this cozy Lemon Dill Chickpea and Orzo Soup. This one-pot, budget and weeknight-friendly meal is ready in less than 30 minutes, packed with fresh herbs, lots of lemon, and tons of garlic – so even though we’re saving you on time, we’re definitely not holding back on flavor. Trust us when we say this soup is kind of big dill.
when life hands you lemons, say f*ck the lemonade and make this soup instead
In all seriousness, are you a lemon-in-your-soup kinda person? If you haven’t tried it before, believe me when I say it’s a game changer. Fresh lemon juice (and even some lemon zest if you’re feelin’ really frisky) can take your soup from 0 to 100 real quick. It’s bright. It’s fresh. It’s bold. All the things you need to add that extra “oomph” to a dish – without spending any extra time or money. A couple lemons, friends. That’s all it takes … ok, and maybe a few other ingredients, too, but you get the gist.
Grab your lemons and a drink, and let’s get to cookin’ the best Lemony Dill Chickpea and Orzo Soup!
chicken noodle soup, upgraded
Look, I’m not trying to take away from a beloved classic like chicken noodle, but dare I say this Lemony Dill Orzo and Chickpea Soup might be America’s new favorite. In many ways, it’s kinda like chicken noodle soup. It’s comforting, filled with carb-y goodness, and packed with protein. Consider my Lemon Dill Orzo and Chickpea Soup the older, more sophisticated cousin to chicken noodle. Because we’re older and more sophisticated now, too – we deserve a soup to match our refined palates.
how to make lemon dill chickpea and orzo soup
This meal requires only one pot and just 30 minutes of your time. It’s so easy, it’s hard to believe we can pack in so much flavor, so quickly. Here are my tips to making the best, easiest, and quickest Lemon Dill Chickpea and Orzo Soup:
- Use good quality ingredients. Look, I’m not usually an ingredients snob, but because this recipe is so simple and quick, the quality of your ingredients really matters here – especially your stock! The stock is the base of this dish. Bad stock = bad soup.
- Salt sparingly. Since many prepared stocks already contain good amount of sodium, I always like to wait until the end before adding additional salt – especially in this case since we’re adding lemon. I recommend tasting the soup after adding in the fresh lemon juice and adjusting your seasonings from there. Remember, you can always add more salt if needed, but you can’t take it out.
- Toast the orzo. Doing so gives the orzo a beautiful, nutty taste and also gives it a nice golden color! Nothin’ beats that golden-hour orzo glow, ya feel me?
I think this recipe is souper!
Puns aside, I really love this recipe … and as always, I hope you do, too! If I’ve inspired you to make it, I would love to see your recreation! Take a photo or a video and tag me on Instagram at @eat_figs_not_pigs and #EatFigsNotPigs. Til next time, friends!
XOXO!
- 1 TBS olive oil
- ¾ cup uncooked orzo
- 1 small white onion, chopped
- 1 medium leek - white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 10 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp fresh cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
- 8 cups prepared vegan chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 - 15 oz canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 bunch kale, chopped
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice, about 2-3 lemons
- ¼ cup fresh chopped dill, plus more for serving
- Salt to taste
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the orzo and cook, stirring frequently, until it just starts to turn golden, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add onion, leek, carrots, garlic, italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions become translucent and the garlic fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Add prepared stock, and rosemary sprig. Increase heat to high. Once the soup reaches a boil, decrease heat to low and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
- Add chickpeas and kale, and cook on medium heat until the kale is wilted, about 3-5 minutes.
- Off the heat, add fresh lemon juice and dill. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Serve warm with additional fresh dill and a lemon wedge.
- ENJOY!
