A winter chill has set in across parts of the country, which means it's officially soup season.
What better way to warm up and eat clean between the holidays than an easy, one-pot weeknight meal that's sure to add boost of bright taste with health benefits to the dinner table?
"Good Morning America" Food is taking the guesswork out of dinnertime, finding delicious and fast dishes to whip up with ease.
Dishing Out Health creator Jamie Vespa, a registered dietitian and health-centric food blogger, shared this simple soup that cooks in just 20 minutes.
Read the full recipe below and make a big batch to enjoy throughout the week -- or check out Vespa's tips to freeze ahead for when you want a quick and easy dinner to reheat this winter.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped yellow or sweet onion
3/4 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
Two 2-inch strips lemon peel, plus 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, divided
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 quarts (8 cups) lower-sodium vegetable broth (sub chicken broth if not making vegetarian)
Two 15.5-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup dry orzo pasta (regular or whole-wheat)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 large whole eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
3 handfuls roughly chopped or shredded kale (substitute spinach, Swiss chard, or escarole)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
Instructions
Heat oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, carrots, celery and lemon peel. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add garlic; Cook 1 more minute, until aromatic.
Add broth and increase heat to bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling, add chickpeas, orzo, salt, pepper and oregano. Simmer soup over medium-high heat, uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until the orzo is al dente. Reduce heat to low, and remove 3/4 cup hot broth from the soup. Set aside.
Place whole eggs, egg yolks, and lemon juice in a large bowl; whisk until combined. While whisking constantly, VERY slowly stream hot broth into egg mixture.
*Note: It's easy to end up with scrambled eggs if you don't do this properly. When eggs are introduced to heat, they will immediately start to solidify, so to avoid this, you need to temper the eggs. This is achieved when you SLOWLY pour the hot broth into the eggs, while whisking constantly, which brings the eggs up to temperature without scrambling them.
While gently stirring the soup with a wooden spoon or ladle, stream the egg-broth mixture back into the pot of soup. Add kale and continue to cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until the broth is slightly thickened and greens are wilted. Remove lemon peels.
Stir in fresh dill and taste/adjust seasonings as needed. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with extra fresh dill, cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.
To store: Let the soup come close to room temperature before transferring to an airtight storage container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
To reheat: This soup reheats best on the stovetop, however you can also reheat it in the microwave for convenience. For stovetop reheating, place soup in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until warm. If the soup appears too thick, add an extra splash or broth or water to help rehydrate it. Alternatively, heat individual portions in the microwave, stopping to stir every 30 seconds, until warm.
To freeze: Transfer completely cooled soup to a freezer-safe, gallon-sized ziptop bag. Lay flat in the freezer, and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.