Lamb and Orzo Soup

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A few weeks ago I cooked Leg of Lamb for the first time.   I was worried about how it would turn out but it ended up being delicious.   However, I guess I didn’t realize how much lamb was there and we ended up with about 4 pounds of leftovers.  I knew we would eat some of it for lunch the next day but we usually don’t eat the same meal more then 2 days in a row so I had to figure how to re-purpose the remaining 2 pounds of lamb.

Lamb and Orzo Soup

I had about a pound of the lamb meat in very small pieces and figured the best thing to do was make a soup out of it.  I’ve actually only made one lamb soup before.  It was a hearty lamb stew I made with lamb meat from our CSA.  I wanted something filling but not quite so hearty.

I found a recipe for a beef and orzo soup but it had a chicken broth and I thought a beef broth would go better with lamb.  I ended up adding some red wine, beef brother, and some vegetables to the soup.   It smelled amazing.  Then at the end I mixed in the orzo.  Let me tell you…orzo really expands when it cooks!

Roasted Lamb and Orzo Soup

The soup was delicious and really filling.   I added a lot of meat to it plus there were vegetables and the orzo.  I love any soup with pasta in it so the orzo was simply a bonus to an already great soup.  It was perfect for a cold, snowy day.

Lamb and Orzo Soup

Lamb and Orzo Soup

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

A hearty beef broth combined with lamb, vegetables, and plenty of orzo.

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 12 oz. lamb meat, cut into small pieces
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 c. dry red wine
  • 4 c. beef broth
  • 2 c. water
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 can (15 oz) petite diced tomatoes, drained
  • 3/4 c. uncooked orzo
  • 3 c. spinach

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add lamb and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the outside has browned.
  2. Add in the oregano, onion, and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Add in the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
  4. Deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping off the little browned bits from the bottom.
  5. Add in the beef broth, water, black pepper, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes.
  6. Add the orzo and cook for 8 minutes.
  7. Stir in the spinach and cook for 2 minutes.

Notes

Adapted from Cooking Light January/February 2015


Hearty and delicious Lamb and Orzo Soup

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