This Italian-Inspired Orzo Vegetable Soup is a hearty, nourishing dish filled with tender orzo, colorful veggies, and seasoned ground turkey in a rich tomato broth. It’s cozy, filling, and ready to warm your weeknights in under an hour.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
It’s easy to make, packed with flavor, and feels like comfort in a bowl. With no pork and zero alcohol, it uses pantry-friendly ingredients to create a wholesome, soul-satisfying soup everyone at the table will enjoy.
Italian Sausage Orzo Soup
There’s something truly special about a big pot of soup simmering on the stove. It fills your kitchen with mouthwatering aromas and delivers big flavor with every spoonful. This Italian-Inspired Orzo Vegetable Soup is one of those reliable recipes that you’ll make again and again.
Traditionally made with Italian sausage, this version swaps in seasoned ground turkey to keep things lighter while still rich in flavor. You get all the same cozy comfort—just a little cleaner.
Orzo is the perfect pasta for soups: tiny, tender, and able to soak up broth without turning to mush. Cook it separately to keep the texture just right and prevent it from soaking up all your broth.
The broth itself is a tomato-forward blend of fire-roasted and Italian-style diced tomatoes, simmered with garlic, onions, bell peppers, carrots, celery, and potatoes. A medley of dried herbs brings warmth and depth.
Spinach is stirred in at the end, wilting gently to add nutrients and color. You can swap this for kale or chopped baby greens if you prefer.
Top it off with grated Parmesan for extra savory richness and serve with crusty bread or a side salad.
This soup reheats well and gets even more flavorful the next day, making it perfect for meal prep.
It’s family-friendly, freezer-friendly, and easily adjustable—add beans, swap the meat, or bulk it up with extra veggies.
Whether it’s a chilly night or you just want something nourishing, this soup delivers big comfort with simple ingredients.
Servings 6
Time
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey (or lean beef)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 (14 oz) cans low-sodium beef or vegetable broth
- 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 (14.5 oz) can Italian-style diced tomatoes
- 1 cup carrots, sliced
- 3/4 cup celery, sliced
- 2 cups red potatoes, diced small
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3/4 cup orzo pasta, uncooked
- 2 cups fresh spinach, packed
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook ground turkey with onion and garlic over medium heat until browned and cooked through. Drain any excess fat if needed.
- Stir in broth, both cans of tomatoes (with juices), carrots, celery, potatoes, bell pepper, and all herbs.
- Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20–25 minutes or until vegetables are fork-tender.
- While soup simmers, cook orzo separately in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and rinse briefly.
- Stir cooked orzo and spinach into the soup. Let spinach wilt for 1–2 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve hot, topped with grated Parmesan and fresh parsley if desired.
Tips
- Cook orzo separately to avoid absorbing all the broth.
- Use ground chicken or plant-based crumbles if preferred.
- Add red pepper flakes for heat.
- Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
