Italian Lemon Orzo Soup

Serves: 2

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 25 mins

Ingredients

¹⁄₂ cup (100g) orzo pasta, dried

1 x 14 oz. (400g) can chickpeas, drained

3 carrots

3 stalks celery

1 medium cooking onion

2 handfuls baby spinach

8 cups (2ltr) low sodium vegetable stock

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbsp. avocado oil

¹⁄₂ tsp. salt

¹⁄₈ tsp. pepper

¹⁄₄ cup lemon juice

¹⁄₂ tsp. Italian seasoning

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp. tahini

¹⁄₄ cup chopped parsley

Optional Garnish: 

¹⁄₈ cup (5g) chopped parsley

¹⁄₂ lemon

Nutrition Key

Kcal	Fats	Carbs	Protein
331	16g	45g	13g

*nutrition per serving

Directions

1. Dice the carrots, onion, and celery. Pour the avocado oil into a large soup pan and place over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté for 1 minute. Next add in the celery, carrots, and garlic, and continue to sauté for a further minute.

2. Pour in the vegetable stock, and add the chickpeas, bay leaf, tahini paste, lemon juice, orzo pasta, Italian seasoning, parsley, salt, and pepper.

3. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow the soup to simmer gently for 15-18 minutes until the pasta and vegetables are soft. Just before serving add in the spinach and stir until wilted. Serve immediately.

   Optional: Garnish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and sprinkle over some freshly chopped parsley.