Lemon ginger orzo soup

This flavour-packed soup has tender orzo, sweet potato, kale and tofu for protein.

Lemon ginger orzo soup. Credit: Mary Makes It Easy / Geoff George

• serves

  6

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  35 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1½ tbsp (30 ml) olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ½ large or 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2¼-3 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 3 tsp ground turmeric
• 6 cups (1½ L) low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (use vegetable to make this a vegetarian recipe)
• 1 cup (250 ml) dry orzo
• 400-450 g medium-firm tofu, diced into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces
• 2 cups roughly chopped kale
• 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Thinly sliced red chilli, optional

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 220°C (425°F).
2. Peel or scrub the sweet potato and dice into approximately 2.5 cm (1 inch) cubes. Transfer to a sheet pan, toss with 3 teaspoons of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender and slightly golden. Set aside.
3. Heat the remaining 3 tsp oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add in the onion and celery, season with salt and pepper, and cook until slightly softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the garlic, ginger and turmeric and continue to cook for an additional minute.
4. Add the broth to the pot, turn the heat up to high, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir in the orzo and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until the orzo is about halfway cooked.
5. When the pasta has reached a toothy consistency, add in the sweet potato, tofu and kale and continue to boil for another 3 to 4 minutes or until the orzo is fully cooked, the tofu and sweet potatoes are warmed through, and the kale is wilted.
6. Just before serving, stir in the parsley and lemon juice and season with more salt and pepper, if needed. If desired, serve the soup topped with a scattering of sliced chilli.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.