Peel and chop the potatoes into small chunks and set aside.
Using a food processor dice the onion and garlic, set aside. Now dice the celery and carrot until finely minced. If you don’t have a food processor, just finely chop all the veggies.
In a large pot, heat olive oil and sauté the diced onion and garlic until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
Toss in the diced carrots and celery. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until softened.
Pour in the can of diced tomatoes along with the beans (I used chickpeas, pinto, and kidney). Add the chopped potatoes and stir well.
Pour in the vegetable broth and add the bay leaves and Italian seasoning.
Bring the soup to a boil, then stir in the orzo (or pearl barley). Bring back to a boil then turn the heat down to a low and simmer for around 15-20 minutes or until the pasta is tender. If using barley, it may take a bit longer to cook.
Remove the bay leaves, then fold in a handful of fresh spinach or kale. Squeeze in the juice of a lemon or lime to give the soup a fresh, zesty finish.
Enjoy right away and freeze leftover to eat throughout the week!
