Italian Chicken Orzo Soup

Thanks to my friend Alice for sharing this recipe.  This soup does not take a lot of time to make and has layers of delicious flavor.

Ingredients

1 pound Italian sweet sausage ( pork or turkey), casing removed
3 cups rotisserie chicken, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 can Italian-style diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 teaspoons dried basil
32-ounces low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup dried orzo pasta
4  cup baby spinach, stems removed, rough chop
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Instructions

Brown sausage in large pot. Add onions and saute several minutes until translucent. Add can of tomatoes, garlic, carrots and celery.  Stir in chicken broth, parsley and basil. Add 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes. Stir in orzo, spinach and chicken and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes or until orzo is al dente. Season with salt and pepper. 
Add additional chicken broth or water is soup is too thick.