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This is the archived version of the Milk Street website and is no longer up to date.

Please visit 177milkstreet.com to see the current website with all of the latest recipes!

Greek Orzo and Tomato Soup (Manestra)

4 Servings

45 minutes

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In Greek, manestra refers to the rice-shaped pasta known as orzo in English and Italian, as well as to the tomato-based dish that’s made with the pasta. This humble dish is often thick, almost like a risotto, and sometimes includes meat—it’s pure comfort food. Here, we’ve turned the ingredients into a hearty vegetarian soup by simmering tomatoes, carrots, potatoes and zucchini with aromatic oregano and allspice. A sprinkling of pleasantly salty feta, the Greek cheese made from goat’s or sheep’s milk or both, provides a nice contrast to the savory vegetables. Serve crusty bread alongside for dipping.

4

Servings

Tip

Don’t let the soup come to a boil. Keep it at a low simmer to ensure that the ingredients will be properly cooked and enough liquid will remain when the soup is done. Don’t forget to stir often so the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot and scorch, or the soup may thicken too quickly and become gummy.

45 minutes

Ingredients

  • ¼

    cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve

  • 1

    medium yellow onion, finely chopped

Directions

Reviews
MAHA T.
November 9, 2025
Easy, tasty and nutritious
I heeded the previous reviewer and made a few adjustments: I used 4 cups of chicken broth as my liquid instead of 6 water, doubled the seasonings and used itallian seasoning since I was out of oregano. Also added a squeeze of lemon before serving. A lovely soup I think I'll be adding to my rotation.
Nicholas D.
October 28, 2023
Very good
I found the soup to be a bit bland but it was okay. Not sure why the recipe calls for water instead of chicken stock - I used 3 cups of stock and 3 cups of water. On the subject of liquid - the intro mentions the soup being thick - this was not at all. If I made this again, I would only use stock and would stop at 4 cups. I added a bit of lemon before serving which added some flavor. Overall, a good weeknight dish but not sure I'd make again.

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