This refreshing chopped salad was so tasty, my girls and I were fighting over the last serving. If you’ve never had jicama, it’s a slightly sweet, mild flavored, very moist and very crunchy root vegetable from Mexico. It’s also very high in fiber and Vitamin C. I can buy precooked barley in the freezer section of my grocery store. If you can’t find the precooked variety, I share simple cooking instructions below.

Recipe

Spinach Lemon Orzo Soup

by BakeYourDay on October 18, 2011 in Brothy Soups, Soups

4.72 Mitt(s) 22 Rating(s)

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Recipe Description

Healthy, creamy vegetarian soup that is quick to throw together and tastes like it has simmered all day.

Preparation Instructions

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot or stock pot. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Add the lemon zest, red pepper flakes and thyme and cook another 3 minutes until the onions are tender and translucent. Turn the heat to medium and add the spinach and orzo. Cook for 1 minute and then add the broth and lemon juice.

Bring to a light simmer and cook for 12-15 minutes until the orzo is barely tender. Whisk the water and cornstarch in a small bowl. With the soup at a light boil, whisk in the cornstarch mixture and stir rapidly. Allow the soup to thicken, about 3 minutes.

Serve immediately garnished with freshly grated Parmesan.

Cassie’s notes:
This soup is also great with 1-2 cups of cooked chicken added in. Feel free to use chopped frozen spinach—just make sure you thaw, drain and squeeze out the excess water.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 whole Large Onion, Chopped
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole Lemon, Zested And Juiced
1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
2 cups Fresh Spinach Leaves, Packed
1-½ cup Uncooked Orzo Pasta
8 cups Vegetable Or Chicken Broth
2 Tablespoons Water
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
¼ cups Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese, More Or Less As Needed

22 Reviews | Be the first to review!

Reviews

psumeb83 on 10.24.2011

This was absolutely fantastic! I love hints of spice, but I might cut back the red pepper just a little to really allow the lemon flavor to shine. It was delicious though – a quick and easy (and pretty filling!) soup perfect for the cooler weather.

Dianne on 11.20.2011

Delicious and so healthy too. With the chicken added, it’s a complete meals with protein, carbs, vitamin A and C. Yummy!

Mrs. Jessie Ca on 12.12.2011

I absolutely loved this, although I will chop up the spinach next time to suit the tastes of the rest of my family. With some bread, this was a great, comforting dinner on a cold, dark winter night!

Liz on 1.5.2012

very lovely recipe!!! The lemon flavor was very light…and the red pepper added a nice spicy kick to it! We added chicken to this as well… and used frozen spinach. Tasted lovely! Thanks for the recipe!

ruth on 1.10.2012

I made this last night and it was fantastic! A big hit with my picky kids as well. I added chicken and used fresh thyme but otherwise kept it the same. This is definitely going to be added to our dinner rotation

Amber {Sprinkled With Flour} on 1.11.2012

This was such a refreshing and delicious soup. Yum!

mammacubed on 1.15.2012

This was great. I was a little worried that it would be too lemony, but it was just right. I had no chicken but did have some frozen mini meatballs that worked beautifully. The result was reminiscent of a lemony version of Italian wedding soup.

JoyfulCook on 1.23.2012

Honestly I was a little hesitant that there wasn’t going to be a lot of flavor, but that was most certainly not the case! This soup was so tasty and filling! No flavor was too overpowering. I halved the red pepper, and used fresh spinach. Next time I will add chicken! Very yummy!

kathryn on 1.26.2012

Family really liked this

desi on 1.26.2012

This was so perfect! I added shredded chicken because I had it, but it would have been heavenly without, too. I love red pepper so that was a highlight for me, but i could see it may be too over powering for some. Thanks so much!!!

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