Orzo Soup

Just as I said I would on Friday, I stayed in all day yesterday. Unfortunately (?) for me, it wasn't rainy all day as the meteorologist promised. Oh well, I had a great day cooking and playing far too much Wii tennis. My arm is quite sore today! This is one of those recipes I saved a while ago, but was reminded of when I saw it last week on Diana's site. It's exactly the kind of food you crave when the skies get dark and the rain is coming down and it's enough to make you forget that a nice baked mac and cheese with bacon is on your mind. I couldn't track down the whole wheat orzo in time to make this recipe. I am told it's sold at Whole Foods, but that store isn't exactly convenient to me right now. I used regular orzo. I used homemade vegetable stock which I make every so often with scraps left over from the farmers market. One of the reasons why I love making vegetable stock myself is because it requires far less time than chicken stock. I just wait for the water to boil and then I can go off and do a Pilates workout or play Wii for an hour...or whatever. Since I had read Diana's review of this recipe, I decided to make some bread type food to go with the soup just in case it wasn't filling enough. More on that tomorrow, but let's just say, I have had my fill of cheese puffs for at least the next week. Normally on Saturdays I am left to eat scraps of leftovers from the weekday before I go to the farmers market on Sunday, but this was such an easy fresh recipe to make on the weekend and one that didn't make me feel guilty afterwards.


Orzo Soup
(Lightly adapted from 101 Cookbooks)

3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
3/4 cup orzo
1 cup spinach, chopped
1-2 large spoonfuls canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained
Large pinch red pepper flakes
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 egg white
Salt (I used Kosher salt)
Grated Parmesan (for topping)

Bring the broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the orzo and cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the spinach.

In the meantime, heat the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and a splash of olive oil in a separate saucepan. Taste and season with a bit of salt if needed.

Just before serving, slowly pour the egg whites into the soup, stirring quickly with a whisk. The white should take on a raggy appearance. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve the soup in individual bowls, with each serving topped with a spoonful of tomatoes, a drizzle of olive oil, and a dusting of cheese.