Creamy Sausage Orzo Soup (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Base Ingredients
01 -
1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
02 -
1 pound fresh Italian sausage, bulk or removed from casings
03 -
1/4 cup white wine (skip if you prefer)
→ Fresh Veggies
04 -
1/2 cup onions, diced
05 -
2 celery ribs, diced
06 -
2 roasted red peppers, chopped
07 -
3 cloves garlic, minced
08 -
1/3 cup fresh spinach, sliced thin
09 -
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
→ Pantry & Dairy
10 -
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
11 -
2 teaspoons Italian herb blend
12 -
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
13 -
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
14 -
1/2 cup half and half
15 -
1/2 cup dried orzo pasta
16 -
1 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
# Instructions:
01 -
Get your Dutch oven nice and hot with the oil over medium heat. Crumble in the sausage and cook it until it's nicely browned and leaves tasty bits stuck to the bottom, about 10-12 minutes. Scoop the sausage into a bowl for now.
02 -
Pour in the wine (or a splash of broth) to scrape up all those yummy browned bits. Toss in the onions, celery, roasted peppers, and sun dried tomatoes. Let them get soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
03 -
Add garlic and Italian seasoning, then sprinkle flour over everything. Stir it up good - you're making a quick roux right in the pot. Slowly add a bit of broth and half and half, stirring until smooth.
04 -
Pour in the rest of the broth gradually, stirring well. Then crank up the heat to medium-high, add the orzo and sausage back in. Keep it at a gentle bubble and stir often - orzo likes to stick! Cook 10-12 minutes until the pasta's tender.
05 -
Kill the heat and stir in the remaining half and half, half the parmesan, spinach, and parsley. Let it rest for 10 minutes to thicken up nicely. Give it a taste and add salt if needed. Serve with extra cheese on top!
# Notes:
01 -
If you can only find sausage links, just squeeze the meat out of the casings - works just as well!
02 -
Got dry sun dried tomatoes? Soak them in warm water for an hour before using.
03 -
The soup will thicken as it sits - if it gets too thick, thin it with a splash of warm broth.