Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
8 ounces white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 medium celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
5-6 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus more to taste (I generally use about 3 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon lemon zest

½ cup dried orzo pasta
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Coat the bottom of a large nonstick pot with 2 tablespoons of oil and place it over medium heat.

When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms in an even layer. Cook the mushrooms for about 5 minutes, gently flip, and cook for about 5 minutes more, until they’re browned on both sides.

Remove the mushrooms from the pot and transfer them to a plate.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pot and give it a minute to heat up.

When the oil is hot, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook the veggies, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften up.

Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute more, until very fragrant.

Stir in 5 cups of broth, lemon juice, zest, rosemary and thyme. Return the mushrooms to the pot.

Raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil.

Lower the heat to a simmer and allow the soup to cook for about 20 minutes, until the veggies are soft. Add more broth if the liquid reduces too much.

Stir in the orzo and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes (refer to package instructions).

Remove the pot from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more lemon juice if you like.