Italian Orzo Spinach Soup

Ingredients

• tablespoon olive oil
• small white onion, peeled and diced
• cup diced carrots
• cup diced celery
• clove sgarlic, pressedor minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• to8 cup schicken or vegetable stock
• (14-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1/2 tablespoon sItalian seasoning
• cup(about8 ounce s) uncooked orzo pasta
• large handful sfresh baby spinach or kale
• fine sea saltandfreshly-cracked black pepper
• optional toppings: freshly-grated Parmesan cheese and/or chopped fresh basil

Instructions

1. Sauté the veggies. Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Simmer. Add stock, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the broth reaches a simmer, then reduce heat to medium low to maintain the simmer.
3. Cook the orzo. Stir in the orzo until combined. Cover the pot with a lid and continue simmering the soup, stirring occasionally so that the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot, until the orzo is just barely al dente. (Try to avoid overcooking the orzo!)
4. Add the spinach and season. Stir the spinach into the soup. Taste and season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
5. Serve. Serve immediately, garnished with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!