Mike's 'Not Really' Italian Wedding Soup

Photograph by Antonis Achilleos – Food Network Magazine

Mike’s ‘Not Really’ Italian Wedding Soup

This is my take on a classic Italian Wedding Soup recipe found here on Foodnetwork.com sans the meatballs.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 small onions (or 1 large) (finely chopped)
3 carrots (finely chopped)
2 cloves garlic (use your garlic press or finely chopped)
1 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons chopped sage (this seemed like way too much sage, so I only used half)
8 cups (2 tetra paks of chicken broth)
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan (plus a bit more for topping)
2 cups of chopped leftover meat (this can be chicken, pork or beef)
1 cup of orzo (maybe more… play it by ear)
2 handfuls of baby spinach (finely chopped)

Directions

Heat the olive oil in your soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook until slightly softened. Reduce the heat and then add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce and sage (heat for 4 or 5 more minutes).
Add the chicken broth and then turn up the heat and bring to a boil.
Cover and simmer (on low heat) until the vegetables are tender (10 mins?).
Bring the soup to a boil again and then add the orzo (cook for about 6-8 minutes). Then add the cold meat and stir in the spinach (cook for 2 or 3 more minutes).