Hearty Beef And Orzo Soup (Printable)
Tender beef and orzo pasta simmer with fresh vegetables in a rich, savory broth for a comforting meal.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1 lb beef stew meat, cut into bite-size pieces
→ Vegetables
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 large onion, diced
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 3 carrots, sliced
06 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
07 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
08 - 1 zucchini, diced
09 - 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut in 1-inch pieces
10 - 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
11 - 4 cups beef broth
12 - 4 cups water
13 - 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
→ Pantry Items
14 - 3/4 cup orzo pasta
15 - 1 tbsp tomato paste
→ Herbs & Spices
16 - 1 tsp dried thyme
17 - 1 tsp dried oregano
18 - 2 bay leaves
19 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
20 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
# How to Cook:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef pieces and sear on all sides until browned, approximately 5 minutes. Remove beef from pot and set aside.
02 - In the same pot, add diced onion, minced garlic, sliced carrots, and sliced celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften and become fragrant.
03 - Stir in diced red bell pepper, diced zucchini, and cut green beans. Continue cooking for another 3 minutes to slightly soften the vegetables.
04 - Return browned beef to the pot. Add diced tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, beef broth, water, dried thyme, dried oregano, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
05 - Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes until beef is tender and vegetables are cooked through.
06 - Add orzo pasta to simmering soup and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until orzo reaches al dente texture.
07 - Stir in fresh spinach leaves and cook for approximately 2 minutes until just wilted. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
08 - Remove and discard bay leaves. Ladle hot soup into serving bowls and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The orzo soaks up all that beefy tomato broth and becomes tiny pockets of comfort in every spoonful
- This soup actually tastes better the next day, which means you are basically meal prep genius without trying
02 -
- The orzo will continue absorbing liquid even after you turn off the heat, so if you are planning to eat this over several days, you might want to cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl
- Seething the beef properly makes such a difference in the final flavor that you should not skip it even when you are tired and want to throw everything in at once
03 -
- Taste your broth before adding salt because different brands have wildly different sodium levels
- If the soup seems too thick after the orzo absorbs liquid, just add more water or broth until it reaches your preferred consistency