Italian Sausage Orzo Soup

Ingredients

1 pound hot Italian sausage or regular

2 cloves garlic minced

1 small yellow onion diced

3 14 ounces EACH cans beef broth

1 14.5 ounces can Italian-style diced tomatoes

1 14.5 ounces can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

1 cup (~2) carrots sliced

3/4 cup (~2) stalks of celery sliced

2 cups (~1) small red potatoes diced

1 green bell pepper chopped

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/2 – 1 tablespoon full dried basil

3/4 cup Orzo pasta uncooked

2 cups packed fresh spinach

Parmesan Cheese freshly grated

Optional: fresh rosemary fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, salt and pepper, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crusty sourdough bread

Instructions

In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, add in the Italian sausage, minced garlic, and diced yellow onion.
Crumble the sausage as you brown it.
Once the sausage is cooked through and onion is tender, add in the broth, both cans of tomatoes (UNDRAINED), sliced carrots, sliced celery, diced red potatoes (cut pretty small), and chopped bell pepper.
Add in the seasonings: Italian seasoning, oregano, and basil (to taste). I add in salt and pepper to taste here. (Depending on the saltiness of the broth, you might want to completely omit salt).
Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat. Cover the pot and simmer for 20-25 minutes, OR until all the veggies are crisp tender.
Meanwhile, in a separate pan, follow package directions to cook the Orzo to al dente. Drain and rinse in cool water.
Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the cooked and drained orzo. Then, stir in the spinach gently.
Taste and adjust seasonings to preference. I add in red pepper flakes here and fresh herbs — usually lots of fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley.
Enjoy with lots of parmesan cheese and crusty bread!