Italian Sausage Orzo Soup
A hearty, vegetable-loaded soup with super flavorful Italian sausage and lots of orzo pasta. It’s lightly creamy and completely comforting on chilly evenings.
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces mild Italian sausage (remove from casings if using links)
- 1/4 cup red wine,
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1 leek, chopped (white and light green parts only)
- 1/2 cup chopped carrots, about 1 medium
- 1/2 cup diced celery, about 2 ribs
- 1 small zucchini, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Italian herb blend
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or seasoned salt
- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 3/4 cup dried orzo pasta
- 1 cup fresh spinach leaves, sliced chiffonade
- 1/4 cup half-and-half
- grated Parmigiano Reggiano, for garnish
- flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a 4 to 5 quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat, until shimmering. Crumble the sausage into the pot, and saute, breaking up clumps, until browned (about 5 minutes). Pour in a splash of wine, and deglaze the pan.
- Add the onions, leeks, carrots, celery, zucchini, and garlic to the pot. Cook until softened, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in the remaining wine, tomato paste, herbs, and salt and stir until the wine reduces/gets absorbed into the mixture.
- Add the can of diced tomatoes with its liquids, and the chicken broth. Increase heat to bring the soup to a light boil, then reduce to medium-low to maintain a simmer. Cover partially with a lid, and cook for 15 minutes.
- While the soup simmers, prepare the orzo in a small pot, according to package directions. Drain, and add to soup.
- Add the spinach leaves and dairy, and mix well. The spinach slivers will quickly wilt, as they should.
- Top the soup with a sprinkling of the grated cheese and parsley.