🌎 US Military Family World Cookbook Project

1 onion, finely chopped
2 bell peppers (red, yellow or green), deseeded and coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped in small pieces
Handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
6¼ oz / 1 full cup orzo pasta
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 can of chopped tomatoes
½ tbsp. double concentrated tomato puree
2 pints hot water or vegetable stock
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
10 ml / 2 tsp. Turkish red pepper flakes or chili flakes
Extra wedges of lemon to serve
Crusty bread or pide bread to serve

Heat the olive oil in a heavy, wide sauce pan and add the onions, peppers and carrots. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes, they will start to soften up. Pour in the hot water or vegetable stock. Also pour in the chopped canned tomatoes and the tomato puree, stir well. Cover and bring to to the boil. Stir the pot and cover again, cook for 10 minutes at medium to low heat. Then add the orzo pasta, season with salt and ground black pepper and combine well. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes at medium to low heat, stirring occasionally. Once the orzo pasta is cooked, stir in the parsley, pour in the lemon juice and combine well. Check the seasoning and add more salt and ground black pepper, if needed. Turn the heat off. Serve hot with Turkish red pepper flakes or chili flakes over the soup, with extra wedges of lemon and crusty bread by the side.