Italian Sausage & Orzo Soup
Source: Found on Pinterest
Only 30 minutes to make and healthy as well. If not topping with croutons, serve with warm French bread.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. Italian Sausage mild or hot (I use Turkey Sausage)
- 1 Tbls. olive oil
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- ½ c. carrots, sliced thin or chopped
- 1 small zucchini, diced into small cubes
- 1/2 c. uncooked Orzo pasta
- 6 c. chicken broth (see note below)
- 15-oz can diced tomatoes, keep juice (or Italian seasoned)
- 1 t. dried Italian Seasoning
- 1 t. kosher Salt
- coarse black pepper, to taste
Toppings
- croutons (Caesar)
- fresh basil, chopped
- shaved parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a 4-quart soup pot on medium-high.
Add sausage and cook until browned, stirring as needed. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb the grease.
To the pot, add onion, garlic, celery, carrots and zucchini; sauté until tender, stirring as needed (4-5 minutes).
Add uncooked orzo; sauté until toasted (about 1-2 min); stirring constantly.
Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes with juice, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and browned sausage.
Bring soup just to boil; then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until orzo is cooked through (10-15 min).
Garnish with toppings of your choice and serve
NOTE: You will notice that the orzo pasta naturally continues to absorb liquid, even after the soup has cooled. During reheat, you can add some additional broth to bet it back to a brothier consistency.