White Bean Soup with Tomato Salsa

By LittleValley

Ingredients

• 1 cup orzo
• 2 small shallots, diced
• 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1/2 red pepper, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
• 1/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
• 30 oz white beans, rinsed
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 lemons

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from realsimple.com

Preparation

Step 1

Cook the orzo according to the package directions; set aside.
In a bowl, combine half the shallots, the tomatoes, red pepper, basil, Feta, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and the vinegar, plus salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the remaining shallots, the garlic, and chili flakes and cook until the onion softens, about 3 minutes. Add the beans, 3 cups of the broth, and the lemon juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Transfer to a food processor or blender. Pulse until combined but still slightly chunky. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Return to heat. Add the remaining broth and bring to a simmer. Stir in the orzo. Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Spoon the salsa over the top. Serve with crusty bread, if desired.