this budget-friendly hearty italian vegetable soup is so satisfying and delicious, it’ll quickly become a staple in your house. perfect for a grab and go lunch or an easy dinner, it’s a go-to meal for me when the weather cools down.

If you’ve followed me for a while then you know I’m crazy for soup. Particularly when the weather cools down, I just find it one of the most comforting meals.

And I gotta say, it doesn’t hurt that it’s so simple to pull together. If you don’t mind a little prep, then soup is the meal for you. Once everything’s ready to go in the pot, it’s pretty hands off from there!

This soup was inspired by my love for Amy’s Hearty Rustic Italian Vegetable Soup. Every time I have it, it totally hits the spot. The only problem is that I can’t always find it in my local grocery store.

The last time I went to get it and couldn’t find it, I decided it was high time to re-create the recipe at home so that I could have it anytime I wanted!

And boy am I glad that I had a hard time finding it because it forced me to create this delicious dish!

I swapped the brown rice that it uses for whole wheat orzo just to give it even more mouthfeel. That said, brown rice would also be great in here (as would barley, farro or quinoa!) so use whatever you have on hand.

That’s truly the beauty of soup – you can use pretty much whatever you have on hand and it’s really hard to mess it up. As long as you’ve got some broth, veggies, a protein and some cheese, you’re good to go!

This one is also pretty friendly on the wallet, which is never a bad thing if you ask me! You can whip up a batch over the weekend and eat for the whole week if you want.

hearty italian vegetable soup

Author: Cait
Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 25
Total Time: 45
Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Category: soup

Description

Scale

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, peeled & diced small
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
3 cups vegetable stock (more as desired depending on how brothy you like your soups!)
1 15. oz can diced tomatoes
2 bell peppers, diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1/2 cup mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 handfuls kale or spinach, stems removed, roughly chopped or torn
1 15-oz. can garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed
1 cup whole wheat orzo or brown rice, cooked (~2.5 – 3 cups cooked)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Recommended for serving: basil pesto, freshly chopped basil & fresh shaved parmesan

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds – 1 minute (until just fragrant).
Add onion, bell peppers, zucchini and mushrooms followed by Italian seasoning, salt & pepper. Cover, lower heat to medium-low and cook for ~5-7 minutes until veggies are fork tender.
Add vegetable stock and diced tomatoes then bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer for ~10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add in orzo or rice and garbanzo beans, stirring to combine. Allow to simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
Add in kale or baby spinach, stirring gently until it begins to wilt (~1-2 minutes).
Season once more with salt and pepper, as needed.
Ladle into bowls, then top with basil pesto, freshly shredded parmesan and chopped basil. Serve with a slice of crusty bread.