Crisp spring days call for light, easy vegetable soup
Author Cara Mangini certainly knows her way around a vegetable garden. In her latest book, “The Vegetable Eater,” she shares recipes that highlight vegetables from salads to stews, sandwiches to pies and, of course, this light, satisfying soup.
You’ll find a treasure trove of advice, tips and techniques in Mangini’s book. I can’t wait to dig into her eggplant caponata and
SPRING VEGETABLE AND ORZO SOUP WITH PARMESANMISO BROTH
Makes: 4 servings
6 cups (1 ½ quarts) lowsodium vegetable stock 2 tablespoons red or white miso paste
3-inch Parmesan rind (about 1 ounce) or a small orange-miso soba noodle bowl, to name a few. The photography is vibrant, and the recipes are very clear with lots of extra information.
This comforting soup is perfect for those chilly spring days that seem to drag on — or pop up out of nowhere.
For a heartier soup, replace orzo with store-bought cheese tortellini. Cook it separately, then add it to the soup just before serving. Let it simmer for a minute until the flavors come together. chunk of Parmesan (about ¾ ounce) plus ¾ cup finely grated Parmesan (¾ ounce) Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup dry orzo
14 asparagus spears, woody ends discarded, spears sliced into ¼-inch coins, tips left intact
1 cup shelled fresh peas (1 pound in the pod) 4 red radishes, sliced into 1/16-inch coins 2 tablespoons good-quality olive oil, plus more for topping
2 tablespoons ¼-inch chopped fresh chives (or 1 finely chopped scallion)
1. Bring the vegetable stock to a low simmer over high heat in a medium saucepan. Immediately reduce the heat to maintain a steady, low simmer and whisk in the miso until dissolved. Add the Parmesan rind or chunk of Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the orzo, reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a low boil, and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add the asparagus and peas; stir to combine. If needed, adjust the heat to return to a simmer. Continue to cook until the pasta is tender and the peas and asparagus are crisp-tender, another 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in three quarters of the radishes, olive oil,
¼ cup of finely grated Parmesan, and 1 tablespoon of chives. Adjust salt to taste. Ladle the soup into individual bowls for serving. Top each with a generous drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of the remaining Parmesan, and add the remaining radishes and chives. Serve topped with freshly grated black pepper.