Greek Orzo Soup (Soupa Kritharaki)

Soupa kritharaki is what a Greek household makes on a genuinely ordinary weeknight, orzo simmered directly in a light tomato and vegetable broth, plain, quick and comforting, without any of the meat or hours-long bake that giouvetsi, its richer relative, asks for.

The technique is almost entirely about timing: the orzo goes in only once the vegetable base has properly simmered, and it needs watching from that point onwards, since it cooks through fast and can turn the whole pot from a soup into a thick, stodgy porridge if left too long.

This is genuinely vegan comfort food when made without any meat or stock, ready inside thirty minutes, and it is a good, practical soup to have in regular rotation rather than reserving for anything special.

Key preparation steps

1. Build a light vegetable and tomato base.
2. Bring to a simmer before adding the orzo.
3. Cook the orzo directly in the broth, watching closely.
4. Finish with olive oil and lemon.

The vegetable base

Cook onion, carrot and celery gently in olive oil until softened, then add tinned tomato and a little tomato paste, along with enough water or light vegetable stock to make a proper soup consistency, and simmer for ten minutes to let the vegetables cook through and the flavours meld.

Adding the orzo

Add the orzo directly to the simmering broth once the vegetables are tender, and cook for eight to ten minutes, stirring occasionally so it does not stick to the base of the pot, checking from the eight minute mark since orzo cooks quickly and continues absorbing liquid even after it is technically done.

Finishing

Take off the heat once the orzo is tender but the soup is still properly soupy rather than thick, since it will continue to thicken as it sits. Finish with a drizzle of good olive oil and a squeeze of lemon, and a grating of hard cheese if you are not keeping it vegan.

What matters in this dish