Italian Orzo Spinach Soup
in the kitchen with… Autumn 2026
Ingredients
1 small white onion, peeled and diced
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
6 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
6–8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 14-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1½ tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 cup (about 8 ounces) uncooked orzo pasta
2 large handfuls of fresh baby spinach
Salt
Ground black pepper
Optional Toppings:
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large stockpot 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.
- Add stock, diced tomatoes, and Italian seasoning; stir to combine. Continue cooking until the broth reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain the simmer.
- 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.
- Stir the spinach into the soup. Taste and season with salt and black pepper to taste. If desired, sprinkle servings with grated Parmesan cheese and/or chopped basil. Makes 4 servings.
Recipe courtesy Dawn Shaw of Pella
