Sausage & Orzo Soup

Well guys it’s officially Fall. It’s rarely super cold here in the south but when the temperature falls a few degrees I start thinking about soups and stews. I looked in the Publix ad and saw that they had Italian Sausage on sale and immediately thought of one of my favorites – Sausage & Orzo Soup!

I am not sure if there are traditional ingredients in this soup as I kinda made this one up from a version I had at a restaurant a while back. I know the version I had long ago had celery in it…since my husband can’t stand celery in soups – I always leave it out. If you are a fan you can easily add it in when you toss in the carrots. I also threw in some chopped mushrooms at one point. I really liked the addition so now it’s become part of my recipe. I figure the more veggies I can get into my boys is a very good thing. I even tossed in zucchini once but I didn’t really care for the texture so I only did that the one time. 😉

The fun thing about food and recipes is that you can tweak them until you get them how you like them. The version I am sharing today is so simple and you end up with a very hearty soup that isn’t too heavy but still packed with fantastic flavor. Like most soups, this one is even better as leftovers the next day!

Pair it with a small side salad and my Garlic Breadsticks and you will have a restaurant quality meal for a fraction of the price you’d pay at a nice Italian place!

This recipe is part of the Publix Menu – Week Of 9/25. Here are the other recipes that I have shared so far –

Sausage & Orzo Soup
Author: Michelle
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6 – 8
Ingredients
  • 3 Italian Sausage links (removed from casing) – about 9 oz
  • 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 large carrots, chopped
  • 6 oz mushrooms, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 5 cups chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup orzo
  • 6 oz bag baby spinach
Instructions
  1. In a large pot, add the olive oil, sausage and onion and cook until the sausage has browned. Be sure to stir to crumble the sausage.
  2. Pour off any excess fat then add the carrots and mushrooms and cook another 2 – 3 minutes.
  3. Toss in the garlic and cook about a minute, until fragrant.
  4. Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, bouillon, bay leaf, oregano, salt and pepper.
  5. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
  6. Add in the orzo and gently boil the soup for another 15 minutes.
  7. Add the spinach and serve.