Enjoy This Delicious Italian Minestrone Made with Orzo Pasta
As it happens in many countries around the globe, soups are a staple dish. Different culinary traditions cook and name their soups in their own way, most times including in their recipes local ingredients that are easy to find and, most importantly, very affordable.
In the case of Italian cuisine, we can enjoy their minestrone, which is basically a vegetable soup that also includes beans and pasta. The addition of these ingredients to your regular soup makes it highly nutritious, full of proteins, vitamins and carbs (carbs are good and necessary to a healthy diet!)
Where’s the Italian rice?
If you choose to prepare your minestrone with orzo pasta, you won’t have any rice in it. Despite the looks, orzo is made with wheat flour and, as a consequence, it contains gluten. Many people choose orzo over other types of pasta because of its small shape, which makes it perfect to add to any salad or soup. Also, there’s no trick to cooking orzo: boil it as you would do with any other type of pasta and it’ll be done in a couple of minutes.
Meet your new friends
The other ingredient that makes minestrone so distinctive it’s legumes. We might not automatically think of adding any beans to our grocery list when we plan to prepare our everyday soup, but legumes are high in protein and vegan friendly. For more traditional palates, peas are a great option to start trying. If you feel bold or you already love legumes, you can try adding lentils, chickpeas, or your favorite kind of beans. Remember that just one type a time is enough.
What about the vegetables?
After you choose the orzo pasta and the legumes you want, pretty much anything is possible. Depending on the season and the region you live, you can include pumpkins, courgettes and zucchinis.
Take into consideration not only the flavors you would like to find in your minestrone, but also the textures you are more inclined to. Celeries, leeks, and carrots have a harder texture than potatoes or tomatoes.
The magic touch
Finally, don’t forget to include some herbs to add the final touches and make your soup tastier. Oregano is always a good choice when looking for a true Italian touch.
Are you willing to try some Italian minestrone on a chilly day? This is one of the best recipes with orzo you can find!
Ingredients
- 3 oz. of Italian bacon.
- 1 onion.
- 1 or 2 celery sticks.
- 1 carrot.
- 3 or 4 garlic cloves.
- 4 cups of broth (chicken or vegetable flavor).
- 1 can of smashed tomatoes.
- Some tomato paste.
- ½ green cabbage.
- 5 oz. of Borlotti beans.
- 2 cups of spinach.
- 5 oz. of Orzo pasta.
- Salt.
- Dried herbs.
- Parmesan cheese.
- Olive oil.
Preparation
- Start with your pot at medium heat and add the olive oil and the bacon. When the bacon is done, add the chopped onion and celery. Stir fry and wait until the onion gets translucid, then add the diced carrot and the crushed garlic.
- Once the vegetables are sauté, lower the heat and pour in your broth and some water. You want to let it simmer and cook your soup in slow mode. Cover the pot partially so that the heat doesn’t leave so quickly.
- Add the tomatoes and the Orzo pasta, stir, and add the shredded cabbage.
- Chop your spinach and add it to the pot.
- Pour in the beans, stir well so that they’re completely covered by the soup. Wait until they look done.
- Add a pinch of salt if you find it necessary, and then your orzo pasta. When the pasta is cooked, your soup is ready!
- Include some dried herbs to enhance flavors. Some rosemary, thyme and oregano will work great with the vegetables and the rest of the ingredients.
- Turn off the heat and let it rest for a while. When you serve, add olive oil and grated parmesan cheese to finish your soup off.
Extra tips
You can easily make this recipe vegan friendly, just avoid the Italian bacon, use vegetable broth, and change the parmesan cheese for nutritional yeast or rawmesan. Your plant based soup will be as healthy and tasty!
Don’t be scared to make a big pot and save it in the fridge. Flavors get richer and stronger when you let your soup cool down overnight and reheat it the next day.