It has gotten cold here . . . when the weather turns so does my cooking. I cope with the cold by making a big pot of warming soup every Sunday. The one I made this week was ready in only 30 minutes - a bonus. I’m also a fan of this recipe because it’s packed full of fresh vegetables.
The recipe was on the Gimmee Some Oven blog. The author called it 'Italian Orzo Spinach Soup. There is nothing really Italian about it so I changed the name. I also subbed kale for the spinach since I had a bunch from the CSA that needed to be eaten up.
This was a perfect soup to start 'soup season' with. Just saute your veggies, then let everything simmer until the pasta is al dente and it is ready to serve.
Vegetable, Orzo Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small white onion, peeled and diced
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups (about 8 ounces) orzo
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
4 cups loosely-packed spinach
salt and black pepper
optional toppings: freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper flakes
Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute for 4 minutes, until soft. Add carrots, celery and garlic and saute for an additional 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes, orzo (pasta), thyme, oregano, rosemary and stir to combine. Bring soup to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente.
Stir in the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes until it is bright green and wilted. Taste, and season with salt and black pepper as needed.
Serve warm, garnished with your desired toppings.
Comments