Alright, so today I felt like making some Rosa Marina Soup. Haven’t had it in a while, and it’s pretty straightforward, which is always a plus in my book. Just a simple, comforting soup. I figured I’d walk you through how I whipped it up.
What I Grabbed
First things first, I had to see what I had in the kitchen. Here’s what I rounded up for this little cooking session:
- Chicken broth, a good amount, like a couple of cartons.
- An onion, just a regular yellow one.
- A couple of carrots.
- Some celery sticks, maybe two or three.
- And the main star, rosa marina pasta – or orzo, you know, those tiny pasta bits that look like rice.
- Olive oil, of course.
- The usual suspects for seasoning: salt, pepper, some dried thyme, and a bay leaf. Basic stuff.
Pretty standard fare for a simple soup, really. Nothing too fancy, just good honest ingredients.
Getting Down to Business
So, I got to chopping. Man, I hate chopping onions. Always makes my eyes water, but hey, gotta do it for the flavor, right? Diced up the carrots and celery too. I didn’t go too fine with the dicing; I like a bit of texture in my soup, not just mush.
Once all the chopping was done, I fired up the stove and put a big pot on. Poured in a splash of olive oil, let it heat up for a minute. Then I threw in the onions, carrots, and celery. Let them sweat a bit, stirring them around every now and then so they wouldn’t catch and burn. You want them to get soft and a little bit sweet, that’s the goal. Took maybe five, seven minutes.
When the veggies looked about right, I poured in the chicken broth. Brought that whole mixture up to a simmer. While it was heating, I tossed in my seasonings – the salt, a good few grinds of black pepper, a pinch of dried thyme, and that bay leaf. I always think a bay leaf adds a certain something, even if you can’t quite put your finger on it.
The Pasta and Finishing Up
Okay, so the broth was gently bubbling away. Time for the rosa marina pasta. I measured out about a cup – didn’t want to overdo it, because that stuff really plumps up. Poured it into the pot and gave it a good stir to make sure none of it clumped together or stuck to the bottom. That’s important with small pasta shapes.
Then, it was just a waiting game. I let it simmer for, oh, I don’t know, maybe 10 to 12 minutes. Basically, until the pasta was tender. You gotta taste it to be sure. Always taste as you go, that’s my motto in the kitchen. It’s the only way to know if it needs more salt or something else. I gave it a taste, and it was pretty much spot on.
Some folks like to add cooked chicken, maybe some spinach or lemon juice at the end. I was keeping it super simple this time around. Just the basics.
Once the pasta was cooked through and all those flavors had a chance to get friendly, I fished out the bay leaf. You definitely don’t want to forget that step; nobody wants to find a whole bay leaf in their bowl.
And that was pretty much it. Ladled myself a big, steaming bowl. It was exactly what I was craving: warm, savory, and satisfying. Not a gourmet masterpiece, but a good, honest bowl of Rosa Marina Soup. Hit the spot perfectly. Sometimes, simple is best, you know?
