How to Avoid Overcooking Pasta in Soup:

I love adding pasta right into my soup because it eliminates extra pots and brings in more flavor. Once the pasta is boiled until al dente, firm when bitten into, immediately turn off the heat and leave uncovered. It will cook a bit more, but it shouldn't be excessive. The leftover soup will most likely have some swelled up pasta, but you can always add in more stock when heating up.

Why is my pasta sticking to the bottom of the pan?

This happens when you cook it directly into the soup. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan so it doesn't scratch it. An alternate method is cooking the pasta by itself, but I find the flavors aren't as deep as when you cook it right in the soup.

Storage & Reheating Instructions:

Store the soup in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, place into a pot on the stovetop over medium low heat until hot. You may need to add a few splashes of chicken stock to thin it out.

Creamy Orzo Vegetable Soup - Simply Made Eats

Description

Creamy Orzo Vegetable Soup is the most cozy, comforting soup and perfect for sick days. Plus, this easy soup cooks all in one pot and is ready in under 1 hour!

Ingredients

Scale

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons salted butter
2 carrots, peeled and sliced very thin
2 stalks of celery, diced fine
1/3 cup yellow onion, diced fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 dried bay leaf
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3/4 cup dried orzo pasta
1/2 cup roasted red peppers from the jar, diced
6 cups chicken stock (about 1.5 containers)
Optional: Parmesan cheese, shredded fine for serving & 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

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Instructions

Place a large dutch oven on the stovetop over medium low heat. Add in butter and olive oil and allow the butter to melt. Toss in carrot, celery, and onion. Stir well then cover and cook for 2-3 minutes, uncover stir and cover for another 2-3 minutes until the vegetables are nice and softened. Note: Make sure the carrots aren't hard still. If they are, repeat the stirring and covering process once or twice more.
Add in the garlic, salt, basil, parsley, oregano, garlic powder, and bay leaf, and cook for 60 seconds. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well.
Add in the orzo pasta and toast for about 90 seconds, stirring a few times throughout.
Add in the diced roasted red peppers and pour in chicken stock. Stir well, then cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook covered for another 20 minutes, stirring half way through and scraping the bottom of the pan.
Test the orzo to make sure it's cooked through. Once it's cooked, turn off the heat on the stovetop to avoid overcooking the pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Top with parmesan cheese and black pepper if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Equipment

Cheese Grater

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dutch oven

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Flexible Cutting Mats

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wusthof knife

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Notes

Make sure to slice the carrot and celery really thin, so they cook throughout. This soup doesn't cook very long and we don't want a crunch from the carrots & celery when eating.
We want the veggies to soften, but not brown too much. Reduce the heat if needed and if you can tell the butter is browning, add another tablespoon of olive oil to increase the burning point.
Once the orzo pasta is cooked, turn off the heat completely to avoid swelling of the orzo.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Category: Soup
Method: stovetop
Cuisine: Italian