Italian Orzo Spinach Soup

Italian, Soups & Stews

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Servings: Yield: 4 -6 servings Source:

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small white onion, peeled and diced

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced celery

6 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

6 to 8 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

1 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

1 cup (about 8 ounces) uncooked orzo pasta

2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach or kale

fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

optional toppings: freshly-grated Parmesan cheese and/or chopped fresh basil

Directions

Sauté the veggies. Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Simmer. Add stock, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the broth reaches a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain the simmer.

Cook the orzo. Stir in the orzo until combined. Cover the pot with a lid and continue simmering the soup, stirring occasionally so that the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot, until the orzo is just barely al dente. (Try to avoid overcooking the orzo!)

Add the spinach and season. Stir the spinach into the soup. Taste and season with salt and black pepper, to taste.

Serve. Serve immediately, garnished with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!