It’s been cold and rainy in St. Louis the past few days, so in other words, it’s perfect soup weather! I really love soup any time of the year, but especially during the fall.
Instead of the usual chicken that ends up in an orzo soup, we have chickpeas. I really love the buttery texture the chickpeas add to this bowl of goodness. Then, enter lemon! Lemon gives the soup a bright, tangy flavor that really make the soup give you life on a cloudy day.
The directions are to have slightly undercooked/crunchy veggies which is what I like about this soup because it needs a bit of the contrast of texture to go with the soft orzo. If you like all your vegetables on the softer side, let the pot simmer on medium low for about 10-15 additional minutes.
There’s an extra cup of water in the recipe that I don’t have added in — this is for your discretion because sometimes the orzo will eat up the broth before you’re finished. My tip would be to add in the water and then more broth if you have it as well as adjust seasoning and lemon juice to your taste.
I hope you enjoy your bowl of lovely warmth in the likely cold weather you must endure.
Herbed Lemon Orzo Soup
Recipe inspired by Delish Knowledge
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 cup orzo
- 1 cup Lacinto kale, chopped with large stems removed
- 6 cups veggie broth + 1-2 C. water, as needed
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 celery stalks, chopped (keep the leaves for more flavor)
- 3 carrots, sliced in half moons
- 1/4 cup dry white wine or cooking sherry
- 2 cups chickpeas
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or one sprig fresh, chopped)
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a stock pot over medium-high heat.
- Sauté onion, celery and carrot until onion is tender and translucent.
- Season with salt, pepper and herbs.
- Add orzo and stir to let it toast slightly and absorb some of the flavor.
- Deglaze pan with white wine.
- Add stock + 1 cup of water and give it a good stir.
- Add chickpeas and kale.
- Let simmer for 10-12 minutes until orzo is cooked through.
- Stir in the lemon juice and let simmer another 5 minutes.
- Serve immediately and season with more S + P if needed.