I was a vegetarian for several years and used to make soups like this Spinach, Pasta, and Pea Soup often.  Soup is one of those great meals that can easily be made vegetarian by swapping out meaty broths for vegetable or mushroom broth (I used vegetable broth).  But sometimes, vegetarian soups can be boring and too soft.  This one has chickpeas which hold up well in the cooking process giving you something to sink your teeth into.  The lemon added a light freshness without being overbearing and the parmesan cheese gave a needed salty flavor.  Consider substituting kale for the spinach or swapping out the chickpeas for cannellini beans.  This soup was great for workday lunches and always left me feeling satisfied.

The ingredients:

Sauté garlic and green onions in olive oil until soft and fragrant.

Add broth and water and bring to a boil.

Stir in lemon rind, orzo, and chickpeas.  Cover and cook until orzo is cooked, about 10 minutes.

Stir in oregano, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and spinach.  Cook for a few minutes until spinach is wilted.

Top soup with parmesan cheese.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions: 

• Vegetable broth for chicken broth
• Dried oregano for fresh oregano

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine