Jen In The Kitchen: Spring Herb Soup + My Favorite Soup Pot
Are you looking forward to spring? It is about that time of year when I start thinking about warmer temps. It doesn’t help that we have been blessed with randomly mild days. I was having lunch with a friend recently and we sat outside! I know it should make me happy, but it only makes me long for spring. To help with my spring fever, I recently made this yummy Spring Herb Soup. The fresh herb flavors were just what I needed!
Before I get to this yummy recipe, let’s talk about my new favorite soup pot. I have been a fan of Le Creuset cast iron cookware for a long time. A friend of mine bought me my first piece 15 years ago, and I still use it on the regular. They are currently running a sale on some of their cast iron, so I decided to treat myself (I do have a birthday coming up!) to a larger Dutch oven. This is definitely an investment piece, but it will literally last forever, and it is so easy to maintain – no seasoning, cleaning is a breeze, and it is just pretty!
Oh my word. I love it. They have so many pretty colors. I chose the Sea Salt, but was very close to getting the white. And I went completely bougie and swapped out the knob on the lid from silver to gold. This piece is slightly larger than my other Dutch oven, making it the perfect pot for soups, chili, and so much more. We eat a lot of homemade soup in our house. Not only because soup is delicious, but because it is so easy to make a big batch and freeze portions for later. And trust me when I say, once you start making your own soup at home, you won’t want to go back to a regular can of soup again.
Here is the recipe for Spring Herb Soup – I hope you give it a try!
Spring Herb Soup
- 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4ounces pancetta, finely diced
- 1medium-size yellow onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 ¼cups uncooked orzo, or Israeli couscous (I used Israeli couscous)
- 3tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley stems plus 1 1/2 cups finely chopped parsley leaves, divided
- 2large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 8cups lower-sodium chicken broth
- 1(15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh chives
- ¼cup finely chopped fresh tarragon
- Finely grated pecorino Romano cheese, for garnish
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Heat oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium. Add pancetta; cook, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered, 4 to 6 minutes. Add onion, salt, and black pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 to 12 minutes.
Add wine; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has almost completely reduced, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the Israeli cous cous (I have also made this with orzo pasta), parsley stems, garlic, fennel seeds, and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Smells so good at this point…
Add broth; bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, until the Israeli cous cous is al dente, 8 to 10 minutes (good for orzo or couscous).
Reduce heat to low. Stir in cannellini beans; cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in chives, tarragon, and parsley leaves. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Garnish with pecorino Romano and serve with lemon wedges (I squeezed a few wedges of lemons in the pot before dishing it out to brighten it up a bit).
I served the soup with mini ham & cheese sandwiches but you could also serve with crusty bread & a side salad. Enjoy!
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