Description
Vegetable orzo soup is a comforting dish packed with veggies, chickpeas, and orzo.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 medium celery stalks, diced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (not ground cayenne)
- 4 cups (946 milliliters) low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 can (28 ounces/794 grams) crushed tomatoes
- 2 cans (15.5 ounces/ 439 grams) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (not ground)
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 cup (80 grams) uncooked orzo pasta
- 2 cups of fresh spinach or kale, kale stem removed and torn into bite-size pieces
Instructions
- Preheat a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and a pinch of salt. Cook until the onions are translucent and the carrots soften about 7 or 9 minutes. For oil-free cooking have water nearby to deglaze the pan if the vegetables start to stick, turn down the heat if needed. Or cook the veggies in a neutral-tasting oil.
- Then add the garlic, ground cumin, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add a splash of water or vegetable broth to deglaze the cooked-on bits at the bottom of the pot.
- Then add the rest of the vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, chickpeas, zucchini, thyme, and salt. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer, and cook covered for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, keep at a gentle simmer, add orzo, and cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until al dente. Stir occasionally so the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- When the orzo is cooked, add spinach (or kale).
- When the spinach (or kale) is wilted taste and adjust for seasonings.
Notes
I use low-sodium vegetable broth, if you don’t you may want to adjust the salt.
The orzo will absorb more liquid as the soup cools.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: main course
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: american
