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Vegetable Soup with Chicken Sausage and Orzo

By Elaine Mellen

Posted on October 25, 2016

With fall in the air and winter approaching, I start making large batches of soup, like my delicious vegetable soup with savory chicken sausage and orzo. It’s perfect for those cold nights when nothing is better than a hot bowl of soup.

My vegetable soup is a complete meal, meant to be enjoyed with a luscious salad and crisp baked bread. The fragrance of this homemade soup simmering on the stove is to die for, so walk out the red carpet! Set your table with beautiful dishes and glassware, bring out a linen tablecloth and napkins, arrange a vase of fresh flowers , light some candles and enjoy a delectable meal with the perfect atmosphere. Food never tasted this good!

Vegetable Soup with Chicken Sausage and Orzo

Ingredients:

2 medium carrots, chopped
2 fennel ribs, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh thyme, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 containers (32 oz each) organic vegetable broth
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup French string beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup orzo
5 cooked chicken sausages, cut into bite sized pieces *
Toasted baguette **

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Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sauté carrots, fennel, shallots, garlic and thyme in the hot oil for 8 to 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

2. Stir in broth, tomatoes, string beans and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

3. Stir in cannellini beans, sausage and orzo. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until orzo is tender.

4. Top each serving of soup with a toasted baguette slice.

* I prefer to roast my sausages, not fry them. Roast sausages in your oven at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes. Cut into bite sized pieces.

** Slice baguette into 1 inch slices. Brush with oil and sprinkle with Italian seasonings. Broil for 1-2 minutes, until baguette is toasted.