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Italian Sausage Tomato Orzo Soup

It’s easy and absolutely delicious!

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Are you ready for the yummiest soup you’ve made all season? This is sort of a twist on a minestrone, in that we took the veggies and tomato base, swapped out a little something different for the noodles, and then added in something special that makes the whole dish sing. If that sounded a little vague, we’ll break it down a bit further…. The onion, celery and carrot in here aren’t revolutionary, but using orzo instead of egg noodles or penne pasta – that’s a switch that we can get behind. Plus, adding in tiny little meatballs as a way to boost flavor and protein is a huge win. They’re easy to throw together and are 100% our favorite part of the recipe.

While we love and frequently make some slightly-more-jazzed-up meatballs, throwing in minced onion, parmesan cheese, panko breadcrumbs and tons of seasoning – since there are so many other elements to this soup, all you have to do is roll up itty-bitty sausage balls. Sear them so they’re browned on all sides, then put them on a plate and sauté your veggies in any of the remaining juices. Then comes the standard sautéeing of the veggies, which leads us to the addition of the orzo. While technically a short-cut pasta, orzo is more similar to grains of rice than to traditional noodles. We chose it here because it makes the whole soup a little less cumbersome than one with long-cut noodles flopping around in it – no broth splashing around our plate (or on us)!

If you’re a fan of a nutrient-dense, protein-packed soup that strikes the perfect balance between being brothy and having plenty to keep it filling, this is our new go-to. We made such a big batch that we brought it to work the next day and our co-workers devoured it! Seriously, it tastes amazing and is great for you, ensuring you won’t be hungry 20 minutes after you leave the table. Grab yourself a loaf of garlic bread and get cooking!

Yield(s): Serves 8

35 minutes

4.7
Rated by 9 reviewers
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Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3/4 pound Italian sausage links, casings removed
  • 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 ribs celery, finely chopped
  • 1 cup orzo pasta
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 (15 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel, optional
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Preparation
  1. Take ground sausage and roll them into small balls. Meatballs should be 1 1/2-2 teaspoons in size.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add meatballs, searing until browned on all sides. Transfer sausage balls to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
  3. Add onion and celery and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until softened and translucent, then add garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant.
  4. Season generously with salt and pepper, Italian seasoning, oregano, fennel and red pepper flakes.
  5. Pour in orzo pasta and toast for 2-3 minutes, stirring so as not to brown, then pour in chicken broth, water and tomatoes (including juices).
  6. Bring mixture to a boil and cook for 9-12 minutes, or until orzo is al dente, then reduce heat to low and return sausage meatballs to warm up. 4-5 minutes.
  7. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, then stir in parmesan cheese and serve hot.

Recipe adapted from Amanda's Cookin