Description
A comforting and wholesome Vegetable Orzo Soup, filled with fresh vegetables and hearty orzo pasta, perfect for cozy dinners or quick weeknight meals.
Ingredients
Scale
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 ½ cups finely-chopped onion
- 1 cup sliced celery
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 2 tsp kosher salt (divided use)
- 1 ½ tsp minced garlic
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 ½ cups diced zucchini
- 1 cup orzo
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 cups baby spinach
Instructions
- Heat the oil: In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Let it warm up for a couple of minutes until it shimmers.
- Cook the vegetables: Toss in the finely-chopped onions, sliced celery, and diced carrots, along with 1 tsp of kosher salt. Sauté for about 10 minutes, until soft and fragrant.
- Add garlic: Incorporate the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Pour in broth: Carefully pour in the chicken or vegetable broth, scraping bits off the bottom of the pot.
- Season it up: Stir in the red pepper flakes, dried parsley, zucchini, and orzo along with the remaining 1 tsp of salt.
- Boil and simmer: Cover the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes until the orzo is tender.
- Finish with spinach and butter: Stir in unsalted butter and baby spinach. Cook for another minute until the spinach is just wilted.
Notes
For added flavor, consider adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice before serving. Allow leftovers to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
Keywords: Vegetable Orzo Soup, Comfort Food, Healthy Soup
