White Bean and Orzo Soup with Chicken Sausage
A quick, easy and wonderfully flavorful Spring soup. Great for a crowd and easily stored for leftovers or “work from home lunch.” Easily made vegetarian by omitting the sausage or substituting for a plant based one. 🍋🥣🍚
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
1 lb chicken sausage links, cut into 1/4” rounds
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onions diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4” thick rounds
1 Tbsp dried basil
2 tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cups orzo
8 cups chicken broth (2 quarts)
15 oz can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups baby spinach, stems removed
Zest and juice of one lemon
Italian parsley, diced, for garnish
Directions:
Heat a large stockpot over high heat. Add olive oil and sausage. Cook 5-6 minutes or until sausage is lightly browned. Remove sausage from pan using a slotted spoon. Set aside.
Add onion and garlic to stockpot. Add 1-2 Tbsp of chicken broth to deglaze the pan. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any brown drippings from the sausage and mix with onion and garlic. Turn heat down to medium high and sauté 3-4 minutes.
Add carrots, dried basil, tarragon, salt and pepper. Cook 3-4 minutes. Add dried orzo and slightly toast with vegetables.
Add remaining chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat down to low and cover. Cook 10 minutes.
Add drained beans and browned sausage. Mix to combine. Cook 5 more minutes to warm beans and sausage.
Add spinach and lemon (zest and juice). Gently mix. Heat will soften spinach. Garnish with Italian parsley.