A delicious and simple-to-make Italian Sausage Orzo Soup with plenty of veggies (clear out your fridge!) and orzo pasta. This hearty soup is loaded with flavor and is simple to customize.
PREP: Finely dice the onion, carrots, and celery into very small and even sizes. Mince the garlic. Dice the red potato into 1/2-inch pieces. Dice the green pepper into 1/4-inch pieces.
VEGGIES AND SEASONINGS: In a large pot over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once hot, add the diced onion, carrots, and celery, sautéing and stirring occasionally, 7-9 minutes or until veggies are crisp-tender. Veggies shouldn't be browning; reduce the heat if they are. Add in the garlic and green pepper and sauté for another 3-4 minutes. Add in the seasonings: the 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon dried basil, and 2 teaspoons dried oregano. Season with salt and pepper (I add 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Stir for 30 seconds and then push the veggies to the sides of the pot.
SAUSAGE: In the center of the pot, add in the Italian sausage. Cook the sausage, crumbling as you brown it. Once the sausage is browned and crumbled, add in the 2 tablespoons tomato paste and diced potato. Stir to coat.
TOMATOES: Next, add in both undrained cans of tomatoes and stir for 1 minute. Add in the beef broth. Bring soup to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until all veggies are crisp-tender.
ORZO: Meanwhile, in a separate pan, follow package directions to cook the orzo to al dente. Make sure to generously salt the pasta water (I add 1 teaspoon salt to every 4 cups). Drain and rinse in cool water and then set aside.
FINISHSOUP: Remove the soup from the heat and gently stir in the spinach until wilted. If all of this soup will be eaten the same day, stir in the cooked and drained orzo. Otherwise, add orzo to individual bowls (See Note 1). Taste and adjust seasonings to preference. I add in red pepper flakes here and fresh herbs -- usually lots of fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley and some basil.
ENJOY: Ladle soup into bowls and enjoy with lots of shredded Parmesan cheese and crusty bread!
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Notes
Note 1: This soup is best eaten the same day it’s made if the orzo is stirred into it. When stored in the soup, the orzo continues to absorb liquid, so it bloats and becomes overly soft (it also continues to take on the broth, making the soup turn into a thick stew). If you aren’t planning on enjoying this soup the same day it’s made, I recommend either halving the recipe or stirring the orzo into individual bowls. If the orzo is stored separately and stirred into individual bowls, this soup keeps very nicely for 4-5 days in the fridge. Freezing: I don't recommend freezing this soup -- the vegetables (especially the spinach) don't fare too well upon being thawed.