Dukan Diet

Salmon. Asparagus. Feta.  Maybe that's all I need to say about this recipe, because if you know me at all, you know a recipe with those favorite ingredients is going to be something I'll like.  Add a small amount of 100% Whole Wheat Orzo Pasta, some drained low-fat cottage cheese for creaminess, green onions, dill, and Beau Monde seasoning, and I think you can tell why I absolutely loved this Whole Wheat Orzo Casserole with Salmon, Asparagus and Feta.  This was the second recipe of the two I mentioned that I tried out on my brother Mark, his wife Lisa, and their daughter-in-law Lindy who stopped by a few weeks ago, and they liked this one as much as they did the Chicken, Black Bean, Avocado, and Radish Salad.  Even though it's a casserole, this is something I would serve to guests, and it's also good reheated if you manage to have any leftovers to eat the next day.

I'd probably never heard of Whole Wheat Orzo Pasta in 2010 when I first made this Italian Sausage and Kale Soup using broken pieces of whole wheat spaghetti, but orzo is such a perfect soup ingredient that when I decided to update the recipe with better photos, it seemed like a perfect switch.  So now I have to rename the recipe to Italian Sausage and Kale Soup with Whole Wheat Orzo, don't I?  But no worries if you don't have orzo (or don't want to buy it), go ahead and break up some spaghetti into short pieces to add to the soup.  You could also make a delicious lower-carb soup using this recipe by leaving out the pasta completely.  

Sausage, kale, tomatoes, and whole wheat orzo or spaghetti; doesn't that sound like a combination that could inspire a lot of good recipes?  When I updated the photos for this soup, I increased the amount of kale so the soup is even more nutritious, but no matter how you make it, this soup is definitely a winner.  (Updated January 2015 with better photos and instructions.)