Tired of dinner decisions? Enjoy a 14 day trial to our meal plan service, voted #1 by Lifehacker, and reduce your mental load today.

Lemon Orzo and Vegetable Soup
and vegetable sticks / ranch dressing

Active: 30 min Total: 30 min
Lemon juice stirred in at the end of cooking gives this simple soup a bright, fresh flavor.
Smarts: If making the soup ahead (or planning on having leftovers), cook the orzo separately and stir it into the soup just before serving. The orzo will absorb most of the liquid if combined too far ahead of time.
Tags
Cuisines

Ingredients

Metric
Servings:
4
Ranch Dressing:
  • Cilantro leaves - 1 Tbsp , finely chopped
  • Chives (opt) - 1 Tbsp , finely chopped
  • Mayonnaise - 2 Tbsp
  • Vinegar, white wine - 1 tsp
  • Sour cream - 1/4 cup (sub plain or Greek yogurt)
  • Dill, dried (opt) - 1/2 tsp
  • Garlic powder - 1/4 tsp
Lemon Orzo and Vegetable Soup:
  • Onions, medium - 1/2 , diced
  • Zucchini - 10 oz , cubed
  • Oil, olive - 1 Tbsp
  • Thyme, dried - 1/2 tsp
  • Stock, any type - 3 1/2 cups
  • Bay leaves - 2
  • Pasta, uncooked orzo - 1 cup
  • Lemon juice - 1 Tbsp
Vegetable Sticks and Ranch Dressing:
  • Cucumbers - 8 oz , sticks for dipping
  • Carrots, baby - 8 oz
  • Ranch Dressing (ingredients listed separately) - 1/2 cup

Prep

  1. Onions - Chop onions. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
  2. Make ranch dressing - Skip if dressing was made ahead for Tuesday. Finely chop cilantro and chives. Combine cilantro, chives, mayonnaise, vinegar, sour cream, dried dill, and garlic powder. Add a splash of water or milk if the dressing is too thick. (Can be done up to 4 days ahead)
  3. Zucchini - Chop zucchini. (Can be done up to 2 days ahead)
  4. Cucumbers - Slice cucumbers into sticks for dipping. (Can be done 1 day ahead)

Unlock this meal along with hundreds of smart meal plans and never stress about "What's for dinner?" again

Try for free
Learn More

Make

  1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil and then onions and zucchini. Saute until onions are tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
  2. Add thyme and saute for 1 minute more.
  3. Pour stock over onions and zucchini. Add bay leaves. Bring to a simmer.
  4. When soup is simmering, add orzo. Simmer until orzo is tender, ~10 minutes.
  5. Turn off heat under soup and stir in lemon juice. Season with some salt.
  6. Serve soup with cucumbers and carrots on the side for dipping in dressing. Enjoy!

Reviews

Ratings


0 reviews