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Tofu Orzo Veggie Soup

Protein and fiber packed Orzo soup loaded with lots of colorful veggies and flavorful shredded baked tofu.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time3 minutes
Course: Soup
Servings: 6

Equipment

  • 1 Instant Pot

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 4 cloves Garlic large cloves
  • 1 Fresh Red Hot Pepper can be sub with half serrano or 1 medium jalapeno
  • 1 tsp Red Chili Flakes
  • 1½ cup Finely Chopped Sweet Yellow Onion
  • 2 cup Finely Chopped Carrots
  • 2 cup Finely Chopped Zucchini
  • 2 cup Finely Chopped Celery
  • 3 cup Finely Chopped Baby Spinach
  • 1 tsp Dry Oregano
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Onion Powder
  • ½ tsp Black Pepper Powder
  • 3½ tsp Salt
  • 3 cup Rao's Marinara Pasta Sauce or any of your favorite pasta sauce
  • 6 cup Low Sodium Vegetable Broth or Water and extra cup of water if you making this ahead of time
  • 4 oz Banza Orzo
  • 16 oz Organic Great Northern Beans – Trader Joe's
  • 3 tbsp Choice of Pesto

Baked Tofu Ingredients

  • 12 oz Big mountain soy free tofu or 14 oz regular firm tofu
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp Dry Oregano
  • 1 tsp Red Chili Flakes
  • ½ tsp Black Pepper Powder

Instructions

Bake tofu

  • Press down tofu to remove as much water as possible. Then Shred it on a baking tray.
  • Once shredded, coat it all with seasonings listed under "Baked Tofu Ingredients". Spray with cooking oil, I user chosen foods avocado oil spray.
  • Set shredded tofu in thin layer on the baking tray, and bake it on 375℉ for 16-18 minutes. Once done, keep it aside.

Cook soup in IP

  • Put Instant pot on saute mode. Add in 2 tbsp of EVOO and let it warm up.
  • Mince garlic and hot red pepper in a chopper. Add it into the IP along with 1 tsp of red chili flakes. Saute for 20 seconds.
  • Add in finely chopped onions with ½ tsp of salt. Mix well and cook it for 30-40 seconds.
  • Add in finely chopped carrots, zucchini, celery & dry uncooked Banza orzo. Mix well.
  • Add in pasta sauce and vegetable broth (or water), along with rest of the dry seasoning including dry oregano, onion & garlic powder, black pepper powder and 3 tsp of salt. Mix well, bring it to simmer while keeping IP on saute mode.
  • Once simmering, close the lid, seal the valve and set IP on high pressure for 3 minutes. The cook time is half the amount of what the pasta box instruction says. Banza orzo box says 6-8 min for stove top, take the lower number 6, cut it in half and that will be your high pressure cook time in IP for that pasta. For Banza orzo it will be 3 minutes.
  • Once cook time is done, let the pressure release naturally for 3-4 minutes. Then manually release rest of the pressure.
  • Once IP valve is released, open the lid. Then immediately add in pesto, chopped baby spinach, canned white beans (water removed and rinsed well) and baked tofu. Stir well.
  • Taste for salt and adjust if needed. Serve it with generous amount of freshly grated parmesan cheese & side of breadsticks! The longer it sits, the thicker it gets. Use some water to thin it down if it gets too thick, especially when you reheat.