Meatball and Orzo Soup

Source: Rachael Ray

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, grated or finely chopped
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1/2 pound ground chicken or turkey breast
• 3 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup orzo pasta

PREPARATION

Heat the EVOO over medium heat in a medium pot. Sauté the onion and carrot for five minutes, then add the broth and bring up to a boil.

Mix the meat with cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix, and if the mixture is too moist, add a few more breadcrumbs.

When the soup comes to a boil, roll and drop 1-inch meatballs into the broth. Stir in the orzo and cook for five minutes. The pasta will not be done but it will continue to cook. Ladle into thermoses.

Comments: To speed this recipe up, I used frozen meatballs instead of making them from scratch. From start to finish, I made it 10 minutes or less. Also, I didn't have any orzo, so I substituted with cooked rice. DELICIOUS!