It’s very cold today at Texas, so I thought doing a nice bowl of hot soup for dinner would be a good idea. Since there are some large scallops, shrimp and clams in the freezer, I’ve decided to try out this dish my husband loves to order whenever we eat at Greek restaurants. Too bad the frozen seafood just didn’t do this dish justice, the broth was flavorful and excellent for garlic bread dipping, but the actual seafood just didn’t taste good. I guess it’s sticking to Asian food for me from now on… The following is the original recipe, I exclude the cheese (lactose sensitive being Asian and all), and served garlic bread instead of the orzo.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups chopped seeded peeled tomato
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
- 30 littleneck clams, scrubbed (about 2 pounds)
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 cups hot cooked orzo (about 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice-shaped pasta)
- 6 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
Preparation
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, salt, and garlic; sauté 4 minutes. Stir in tomato; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 3 cups water, wine, and clam juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes.
Add clams to pan. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until clams open; discard any unopened shells. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley, oregano, and lemon juice. Place 1/2 cup pasta in each of 6 soup bowls; ladle 5 clams and about 1 cup broth over each serving. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese.
Weeknite Meals 