Cabbage Sausage and Orzo Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound Italian sausage (mild or spicy), bulk or with casings removed
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ¹/₄ cup tomato paste
• 1 large Napa or Savoy cabbage (about 2 pounds), trimmed, quartered, and thinly sliced
• 4 cups chicken stock, homemade or low-sodium store-bought
• 4 cups water
• ³/₄ cup orzo
• 1 or 2 Parmesan rinds
• ¹/₃ cup chopped Italian parsley
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, or to taste
• ¹/₂ cup grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large thick-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sausage in a single layer and brown, breaking it into bite-sized pieces and stirring occasionally, until it is just cooked through and no longer pink. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
2. Add the onion and several big pinches of kosher salt and black pepper. Saute for about 4 minutes, then add the garlic and saute for another 1 minute. Lower the heat, and add the tomato paste and continue cooking, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pot, until it caramelizes and starts to change in color from bright to brick red, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the cabbage, chicken stock, water, orzo, Parmesan rind(s), and another big pinch or two of salt. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally to ensure nothing sticks. Add sausage and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes longer, stirring and scraping occasionally, until the orzo and cabbage are tender. Remove and discard rinds.
4. At the end, add parsley and red wine vinegar. Adjust salt and acidity to taste. Serve the soup in bowls, topped with grated Parmesan.