Description

this updated classic contains 2 kinds of beans, hearty whole wheat orzo pasta & plenty of veggies for a filling & delicious meal that’s warm & comforting!

Ingredients

Scale

1.5 tablespoons olive oil
3 slices of bacon, chopped (3 oz. pancetta would also work)
1 small onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
2 large carrots, peeled & diced
3–4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 15 ounce can low-sodium red kidney beans, drained
1 15 ounce can low-sodium cannellini beans, drained
3 1/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 1/4 cups water
3/4 – 1 cup whole wheat orzo pasta
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional (but highly recommended!) toppings: freshly shaved parmesan and freshly chopped parsley or basil

Instructions

Place a dutch oven over medium-high heat and once warm, add olive oil.
Add chopped bacon and cook, stirring frequently to ensure it crisps and browns on all sides (~4 minutes)
Once bacon is cooked, add onion, carrots and celery to the pot cooking until just tender (~6 minutes).
Add garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes stirring consistently for about 45 – 60 seconds.
Add tomatoes and beans then bring the pot to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, bring the heat back up to high and add broth and water. Once boiling, add the whole wheat orzo cooking for about 8-10 minutes or until orzo is al dente.
Serve immediately topping with freshly shaved parmesan and parsley and a hunk of crusty bread to soak up the broth at the end!

Notes

This makes a lot of soup – about 8-10 servings. I like to reserve about 2-3 that I can eat within a few days for lunch and then I portion out and freeze the rest in freezer-safe bags so that I can just pull a bag out for a quick meal when needed.

adapted from my favorite cook’s illustrated recipe!

Keywords: soup, pasta e fagioli, beans