Spicy Tomato Soup with Orzo and Kale

This excellent soup is adapted from the talented Olaiya Land, a PCC COOKS instructor. This is warming and hearty for any time of year- it makes an excellent first course for a pasta dish. Try making a pot over the weekend, this goes great for lunch taken to work during the week. Once the soup is cooled, portion it into reused to go tubs to be heated in a bowl at work, or purchase some glass bowls with lids from any home/kitchen store so you can microwave it in the bowl sans lid. The orzo can be replace with any whole grain you have on hand!

Serves: 4-6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes (incld 10 min resting)

Ingredients:

2 Tblsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 medium carrots, peeled and diced

2 tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

15-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

6 cups stock or broth, chicken or veggie

1 bunch kale, stems removed, and torn into bite size pieces

½ bunch fresh cilantro, rinsed and roughly chopped

1 cup uncooked orzo (or quinoa or barley)

¼ cup minced cilantro, or toasted pine nuts, for garnish

Instructions:

-In a heavy stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat until it shimmers (but not smokes). Add the onion, carrot, cumin, red pepper, and oregano, and saute for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

-Add tomatoes + their juice, and the stock. Stir, and simmer for 15 minutes.

-Meanwhile, bring a sauce pot filled with water to boil. Add the orzo, and boil until cooked al dente, about 15 minutes (barley will take much longer, start ahead of everything else). Drain, and set aside.

-Add the torn kale and the cilantro, and simmer for 10 minutes, until the kale is cooked and tender but is still green. Let sit for 10 minutes off the heat. Taste for salt and pepper; add as needed.

-If using pine nuts as a garnish, saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon constantly to prevent burning. You want them a toasty brown and quite fragrant.

-To serve, divide the orzo into the bowls (about a 1/3 cup of cooked orzo each), and ladle the soup over the top. Garnish with minced cilantro or toasted pine nuts.