Spinach Tomato Orzo Soup

Probably not what most people are posting for St. Patrick's Day...but hey, you can't get much greener than spinach!

Okay, so that doesn't look so hot. But the end result....

That's a little more appetizing I hope. I love soup, so it looks pretty darn good to me. Especially since it continues to be cold and rainy and just plain gross weather wise. 

As with most things I make, this is pretty easy to throw together, and even better, it's healthy! I'm not sure why, but I love orzo in soup.

Of course, with all this healthiness going on, I'm the only one in my house that would eat it. If you are not a big veggie eater, soup is a good way to get more in your diet. Spinach works great in soup because of its mild flavor, and you can puree your other veggies if you don't like the chunks. I do that a lot, because honestly, the only chunks I want are chocolate ones :-)

Spinach Tomato Orzo Soup

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb spinach
1 – 15 oz can diced tomatoes 
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 cup orzo pasta
4 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
salt and pepper, too taste
Parmesan cheese (optional)

• Place a large stock/soup pot on medium high heat. Add olive oil. 
• Saute onions until tender. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic. Saute for about a minute 
• Add canned tomatoes, spices, spinach, and chicken or vegetable stock. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium and add orzo pasta, cooking for 12 – 15 minutes, or until orzo is tender. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. 

Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese if desired. I love cheese in my soup!

                 (Recipe adapted from Babble)

You could easily add meat to this soup, like chicken or chicken/turkey sausage. You could also use kale instead of spinach if you are a kale fan, as well as incorporating more veggies. That's the great thing about soup, it's pretty versatile. Now, if only my children's taste buds would become more versatile...the only soup they will eat is chicken noodle. And then, only 2 out of 3 will eat it! Oh well, enjoy your St. Patrick's Day!

I leave you with a little Irish Blessing - 

May joy and peace surround you, 

contentment latch your door, 

and happiness be with you now

and bless you evermore!

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