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Souper Creamy Lemon Butter Cheesy Zucchini Orzo!! Kind of like risotto, kind of like soup, kind of DELICIOUS…the ultimate bowl of summer comfort. This simple zucchini orzo is made in under 30 minutes, uses just one skillet, and is a great way to use up that summertime zucchini. It’s creamy, garlicky, packed with zucchini, and finished with fresh herbs and parmesan cheese. Perfect cozy, summer dinner or easy side, any night of the week. Everyone in the house will enjoy this dish, veggies and all!
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If I could describe this dish in just a few words, I’d tell you that it’s a cross between risotto and soup. It’s not quite as thick or heavy as risotto, but not nearly as soupy as soup. It’s somewhere in between the two, and most importantly?
It. Is. SO GOOD.
It’s comfort in a bowl and clearly I love this recipe. Before I dive into all the details, some background info for you all. Growing up, my mom would make what she called “souper rice”. Basically, it was cream of chicken soup plus a whole lot of rice. So much rice that you really couldn’t call it soup anymore…enter “souper rice”. I can’t fully remember how she made it, but I know it involved minute rice and cream of chicken broth. That might have been it actually. Either way, it was incredibly basic…and yet she loved it. She would eat it with homemade air-popped popcorn on top. Yes, that’s my mom, carb-loving, and all about comfort. And I love her for it.
To this day, “souper rice” is still a food she would happily enjoy if someone were to make just make it a bit healthier.
I actually made my take on “souper rice” a few years back and it’s kind of what inspired today’s recipe. Honestly, I was sitting outside pondering in my head about what I wanted to make. Zucchini was on my mind and so was orzo. I put the two together and this is what I came up with. Then I remembered mom’s “souper rice” and that’s when I decided I was making “souper zucchini orzo”. I knew even before I made it that I was going to love it.
This is SIMPLE. So SUPER SIMPLE, but my gosh, it’s good. It’s what everyone needs a little dish of in their life today.
Also? I sent these photos to my mom, who at the time was driving back to Colorado from California. And immediately her response was…
Yum! ? LOVE❣️
Yep, I copy-pasted that. And when I told her that I gave some of the dish away, she almost panicked that she wouldn’t have any to eat upon getting in at 12 am. I assured her that I saved her plenty. I knew this was her kind of recipe. She literally gave a sigh of relief. Dramatic, but it’s all true.
OK, moving along here.
The details.
As I said, this dish is quick and easy. Start by cooking the butter and garlic together until your kitchen smells amazing, so a minute or so. Add the orzo and plenty of fresh thyme. The garlic and thyme are the big flavors here, so don’t be shy.
Allow the orzo to get a little toasty, then toss in lots of shredded zucchini and a bit of kale too. If you hate kale, not a problem, simply use spinach. If you hate greens, not a problem, leave them out. Next, slowly pour in the chicken broth. For anyone who’s a vegetarian, just go with vegetable broth instead.
Cook the orzo risotto-style, stirring every few minutes until it’s al dente and creamy. This only takes a few minutes, so don’t worry, no standing at the stove for an hour.
Once the orzo is al dente, stir in a splash of milk (I like using canned full coconut milk, it’s delicious, dairy-free, so creamy, and no, you do not taste any coconut) and plenty of fresh parmesan cheese. As you are stirring, smells of garlic, thyme, and parmesan will quickly hit your nose.
It’s wonderful.
Remove from the heat, and simply finish off with fresh thyme. And please, eat immediately. This is meant to be on the soupy side, meaning there should still be broth around the orzo. The orzo will soak the broth up if it sits too long. So enjoy it right away it will be just perfect.
And that’s it. Enjoy a bowl topped with fresh thyme and settle into a cozy summer meal. Yes, meal, I know this might be considered more of a side dish, but around here, this is dinner.
If you’d like to make this a little heartier, try adding a fried or soft boiled egg.
Alternately, if you’d like to serve this as a side, that works great too. I’d recommend my favorite creamed corn chicken, this colorful creamed spinach salmon, a simple roasted chicken, or even a grilled steak. Any of these would be delicious paired with this orzo.
What I love most? Even though this is best right off the stove, the leftovers are still so good. The orzo becomes more like risotto and when heated up, it makes the perfect lunch the next day. Love a dish that you can enjoy for dinner one night and lunch the following day!
OH, and of course, how could I forget. This is a great way to get in your vegetables and use up all the zucchini you have growing in the garden.
Or maybe you just picked up a few too many zucchini at the market, this is your dish. Biggest bonus? Your kids will love this too, just tell them the green specs are herbs. Or maybe double the parmesan, in my book adding more cheese is always a good idea…whether you’re a kid or an adult.
If you make this souper creamy lemon butter cheesy zucchini orzo be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch The How To Video:
Souper Creamy Lemon Butter Cheesy Zucchini Orzo
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 pound dry orzo pasta , (use gluten-free, if needed)
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 medium zucchini and or yellow summer squash grated
- 1/2 bunch kale, finely shredded
- 3 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup whole milk or canned full fat coconut milk
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley , (or 2 teaspoons dried)
Instructions
- 1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and garlic, and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the orzo, and thyme, and cook until golden and toasted, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the zucchini and kale, cooking another 2-3 minutes, until wilted. Add the 1/2 cup broth and de-glaze the pan. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, onion powder and season with salt and pepper. Slowly continue to pour in the remaining 2 1/2 cups broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer 8-10 minutes until the orzo is al dente, stirring often. It should become very creamy. 2. Stir in the milk, parmesan, and parsley, cook another few minutes until warmed through. As the orzo thickens up on you, add additional broth to thin. It should be creamy, but with just a touch of liquid. 3. Divide the orzo among bowls and top with fresh thyme…add additional butter…and parmesan, if desired. Hint? It's very desirable…
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
A total hit! I threw in some pesto, everyone loved it. Would definitely make again.
Hey there,
Thank you so much for making this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear it was a winner! Happy Sunday! xT
I made this as a side for some feta and spinach stuffed chicken breasts last night and it was so easy and delicious. A great way to sneak in a few more veggies but make a filling, delicious addition to the meal for my teenagers who are always hungry! This one will be in rotation.
Hey Ashley,
Happy Sunday!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! xT
Hi! So excited to try this recipe but I’m not super into kale. Would I be able to substitute spinach instead?
Hey Kaitlyn,
Totally, spinach would be a great option for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I’ve been making this recipe for two year ish and I LOVE it. However, I always have to add more liquid, no matter how low my heat is, it absorbs way too fast. However the recipe is still absolutely fabulous and it’s an easy common sense/eyeball kind of fix. Delicious!
Hey Gabby,
Fantastic! Love to hear that this recipe always turns out nicely for you, I appreciate you making it so often! Have a great weekend:)
Can you make this a day ahead?
Hi Molly,
Sure, that would be okay for you to do. I hope you love this recipe! Happy Easter! xT
Thanks for this fantastic recipe! I can’t remember if I’ve ever left a comment for this or not, but we eat this a lot. We used to do it only in the summer, but we love it so much, that now we have it all year long. I probably make it twice a month (for years now) – and we STILL aren’t tired of it. The recipe sounds like it might be good, but it’s crazy how amazing it actually IS. Make this, that’s all I have to say.
Thanks so much Peggy!! Love to hear that you have been enjoying this recipe so often, I appreciate you making it! xT
I made this last night and it was so delicious! It’s easy and comes together quickly. You are right, the leftovers were delicious tonight. I added a little more stock and cheese and warmed it up in a skillet with a little butter. Yumm.
Hi! Thank you SO much for trying out this recipe, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! xT
Made this last night! So yummy!! Having leftovers for lunch now. Mmm just as good!
Thank you so much Leslie! xT
Absolutely delicious. Very light, creamy, zesty and scrumptious. Was going to double the recipe but didn’t have enough orzo so ended up doubling the garlic and butter and it was SO good. Made this 3 or 4 times this summer. Been passing along the recipe. Never had a bad recipe from Tieghan!
Thank you Tanner!!
This was sooooo yum! It’s now a weekly staple in our house and everyone devours it.
I made it vegan by using “made with plants” dairy free thickened cream and nutlex butter.
Also added mushrooms the second time and it was even better! 10/10 recipe.
Hey Holly! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try! I really hope you enjoyed it! xT
This was the first HBH recipe I tried and as much as I really wanted to love it, this was a no for me. Maybe I did something wrong along the way, but I followed the recipe to a T, including the suggested tips. The orzo quickly absorbed the liquid and there was just a hint of lemon despite eventually using a total of two lemons. After about 30 minutes, I ended up with a very dry clump of orzo pasta.
Hi Emma,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! Unfortunately, it sounds like your heat may have just been a little too high on the stove top while cooking. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
I have two of Tieghan’s cookbooks and I’ve never made a bad meal from any of her recipes ! This was no exception, I added a leftover corn on the cob i found languishing in the fridge and some fresh basil. I also couldn’t find the orzo I thought I had so I subbed alphabet pasta and it worked fine. I really like how adaptable her recipes are and because i also live in the mountains/high desert of Colorado i think our regional tastes/ingredients are the same lol Thank You!
Hi Linda,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it:) Thanks so much for your kind message and making so many recipes! xT
I combined this dish in with the creamy corn orzo recipe and BOOM! DINNER! Happy campers all round x
Hi Christine,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it:)
This is absolutely delicious! We’ve made multiple times! We often sub spinach (instead of kale, because that’s what we have on hand)! One time we were out of orzo but really wanted to have this dish for dinner so we subbed it for rice and that was also very good! We really enjoy it!!
Hey Tara,
Happy Sunday!!😃🍊 I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was delish! xx
New favorite summer recipe!! It comes together so easily and uses all the veggies we grow in the garden! Perfectly creamy and fresh. Thank you!!
Thank you so so much Sophie! xT
Wow amazing. Tasted really, really good.
Hey Samantha,
Happy Sunday!! 🍉🍓🫐 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and your comment! xT