Broth-based vegetable soup can sometimes feel a bit “meh,” but this one, courtesy of Jennifer Segal at Once Upon a Chef, is far from it. It’s filled to the brim with fresh garden goodness — zucchini, peas, carrots and celery — and the addition of zesty pesto sauce and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese at serving time really ramps up the flavor. The soup also includes a bit of orzo, a tiny, rice-shaped pasta, ensuring it is not only wholesome but also satisfying. You can serve the soup as a light stand-alone meal with a side of garlic bread or pair it with gooey grilled cheese sandwiches.
Servings: 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 small yellow onions, chopped
- 2 carrots, cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 2 celery stalks, cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- ⅔ cup orzo
- 1 small zucchini, cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ½ cup homemade or store-bought pesto
- Hunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano, for grating over soup
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft and translucent and the vegetables are partially cooked, about 10 minutes. Do not brown; lower the heat if necessary. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, for two minutes more.
- Add the chicken broth, salt, pepper and bay leaves and bring to a gentle boil. Add the orzo, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for eight minutes. Add the zucchini and frozen peas. Adjust the heat to bring back to a simmer and cook until the orzo is al dente and the vegetables are all tender-crisp, about two minutes more. Remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (keep in mind that the soup will taste a bit bland before the pesto and Parmigiano-Reggiano are added).
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a heaping tablespoon of pesto and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Pass more pesto and cheese at the table.
Make-ahead/freezing instructions: The soup can be made up to three days ahead of time. However, the orzo will absorb the broth and become mushy if left in the soup for too long. If you plan to make the soup ahead, cook the orzo separately and store in a separate container. When ready to serve, reheat the soup gently, then stir in the orzo. Leftover soup can be frozen for up to three months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. (If necessary, thin the soup out with a bit of water or broth when reheating.)
More Recipes You May Like:
