Cozy and packed with flavor, this vegetarian orzo soup with butternut, white beans, and sage pistou is perfect for enjoying throughout fall and winter. Everything cooks together in one pot in 30 minutes or less. The sage pistou comes together quickly while the soup cooks and is stirred in right before serving.
Historically I’m super picky about brothy soups so you know this orzo soup is dang delicious if I’m sharing it with you! While vegetable broth forms a good base, this soup gets extra flavor from shallots, celery, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme. White beans add some protein while chunks of tender butternut lend an earthy sweetness that pairs really well with the collard greens. The orzo cooks right in the flavorful broth making this a great, one-pot meal. The real star though is the sage pistou — it’s herbal and bright and just the thing to perk up the soup and make it anything but boring!
Pistou is similar to pesto but typically made without nuts/seeds and cheese. I opted to add some parmesan to mine but you can omit it if you like!
Notes on Ingredients and Substitutions
If you need to make this recipe gluten free, you can use a gluten free orzo (Jovial makes a good one!). If you want to add more protein and are not vegetarian/vegan, feel free to use bone broth in place of the vegetable broth. The optional use of parmesan in the pistou is the only ingredient keeping this recipe from being fully vegan. Try using grated vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast instead if you prefer a vegan soup. Or, you can omit it entirely. Any dense winter squash can be used in place of the butternut such as delicata (no need to peel first!) or pumpkin. I personally love the flavor of shallots but if you prefer, you can use 1 small yellow onion instead. If you’re a kale lover, feel free to use an equal amount of kale in place of the collards. Any cooked white beans can be used such as cannellini, navy, or great Northern.
Time-Saving Recipe Tips
- Have all of your soup ingredients prepped and ready before you start. This ensures you can simply add things to the pot without hurriedly chopping! Feel free to make the pistou while you’re waiting on the orzo to cook in the soup.
- Butternut squashes can be hard to peel and cut unless you have a sharp knife, great hand strength, and a steady hand. You can use 12 ounces of pre-cut butternut (often found in the produce section this time of year) or frozen cubed butternut to save both time and hand strength. See the recipe notes below for more info!
- Though I really love the earthy and bright sage pistou with this cozy orzo soup, you can save some prep time by using your favorite store-bought pesto for a similar flavor.
Orzo Soup with Sage Pistou in 6 Easy Steps
More Cozy Soups to Enjoy
If you want something comforting, filling, and packed with flavor, try my pumpkin tofu curry. It’s made in one pot AND is ready in 30 minutes or less! If you’re not a fan of brothy soups and want something thick and creamy, try my vegan acorn squash tomato soup with thyme and rosemary. It’s perfect for pairing with a grilled cheese or your favorite crusty bread.
Orzo Soup with Butternut, White Beans, and Sage Pistou
- Total Time: 38-40 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Cozy and packed with flavor, this vegetarian orzo soup with butternut, white beans, and sage pistou is perfect for enjoying throughout fall and winter. Everything cooks together in one pot in 30 minutes or less. The sage pistou comes together quickly while the soup cooks and is stirred in right before serving.
Ingredients
for the orzo soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
- 2 ribs celery, finely chopped
- Sea salt, to taste
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 bay leaf
- 5–6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied together with kitchen twine
- 12 ounces butternut squash, diced into 1/2-inch cubes (about half of a medium butternut)
- 5 cups vegetable stock
- 2/3 cup uncooked orzo
- 1 can white beans, such as cannellini or great northern, drained and rinsed
- 5–6 collard green leaves, about half of a standard bunch, de-ribbed and leaves cut into bite-sized pieces
for the sage pistou
- 1/4 cup sage leaves, loosely packed
- 1 cup parsley leaves, loosely packed
- 1 medium lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
- Sea salt, to taste
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons parmesan, plus extra for serving, optional
Instructions
Add the olive oil to a large stockpot or Dutch oven and set it over medium heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the chopped shallots and celery along with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring every minute or so, until the shallot is translucent and the celery has softened. Add the garlic, bay leaf, and bundle of thyme sprigs. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Add the diced butternut squash, followed by the vegetable broth and a big pinch of salt. Increase the heat to medium-high. Stir, then allow the broth to come to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium to maintain a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
After 5 minutes, add the orzo, white beans, collards. Return the soup to a simmer. Cook, stirring every 2 minutes or so, until the orzo is al dente and the butternut squash is very tender (about 8-10 minutes). Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs before serving.
While the soup cooks, make the sage pistou. Finely chop the sage and parsley then add to a small bowl with the zest from the lemon, 1 tablespoon of the juice, the minced garlic, and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil, stirring as you go. Stir in the parmesan last if using.
Add a dollop of pistou to each bowl of soup. Stir in before eating. Add an extra sprinkle of parmesan if desired.
Notes
- The butternut squash takes the longest to cook so it’s added to the broth first. If you are using store-bought cubed butternut and the pieces are larger than 1/2-inch, you’ll need to increase the time the butternut cooks in the broth before the orzo, beans, and collards are added to ensure it is fully cooked through and very tender. If you’re using frozen butternut, you can add it at the same time as the orzo.
- If you buy your broth in quart-sized cartons and don’t want to buy a second one just to use 1 cup from it, feel free to use 1 quart of broth plus 1 cup of water instead.
- I have a small Dutch oven that dictates the amount of soup I can make at one time. If you’d like to double the recipe, you can use one whole medium butternut squash and one whole bunch of collard greens!
- Note that the orzo will continue to absorb the broth as it cools. If you’re keeping leftovers, you can add more broth when you warm them up if you prefer.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 28-30 minutes
Made this orzo soup with butternut and white beans tonight, so cozy and hearty! The creamy squash, tender orzo, and beans made it super satisfying. Perfect fall weeknight dinner adding to the rotation!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for leaving such a lovely review!
This vegetarian orzo soup sounds so cozy and delicious! I’m saving this recipe for my fall list, it seems easy, flavorful, and perfect for a quick one pot meal.
So happy to hear! I hope you enjoy it!
This soup just taste like warm fall hug!
So glad you found it as cozy as I did!
This is going on my must make soon list. Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that! It’s such a cozy soup.
This was such a flavor-packed recipe! So filling too, I loved it
So glad you loved this one! It’s definitely a favorite in my household.
This vegetarian orzo soup looks so cozy and full of flavor. I’m definitely saving this recipe to try this fall.
So glad to heat that! I hope you enjoy it!
Oh my. I was originally going to make this just the soup, because I had no idea what a pistou was! I went for it anyways and first, simple- but second, wow! The soup was good but it took it to the next level. Incredible, we will definitely make this all season long. Chefs kiss!
Yay! So glad you tried it with the pistou. You can always use your favorite pesto instead for a similar vibe if you like. Thank you for leaving such a lovely review!
Orzo and butternut squash work so well together! So yummy and perfect for fall!
Definitely a perfect fall pairing! Hope you enjoy the soup!
I absolutely love this soup! The pistou is lovely with the soup, and I love the butternut squash with the orzo and beans. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it! It’s super cozy and one of my favorites 🙂