This cacio e pepe soup is the comfort you’re searching for this winter

I don’t know about you, but I find this time of year to be a culinary challenge. Yes, I want to be healthy in the new year -- at the very least, give up cookies and pie for breakfast.

Yet, I am tired and stressed from it all and my body craves comfort.

Whenever I am looking for a little comfort food, my go-to favorite is mac and cheese. Sometimes, it’s the little blue box and sometimes it’s a little cacio e pepe, the classic Roman pasta dish with Pecorino Romano cheese, butter, lots of black pepper and a little starchy pasta water to loosen it all up.

So when I found this recipe for cacio e pepe soup –with the addition of hearty greens and chickpeas -- it was the perfect transitional meal for a dreary January. Comforting, yes, but it’s healthy too.

This recipe is like macaroni and cheese soup – for grownups.

I used spinach, but curly kale would also work. With the addition of grated lemon zest, it also has a brightness to it that lightens the soup just the right amount. Also, try to use salt-free beans and broth as the cheese will add a great deal of salty goodness to the dish.

Best of all, it’s easy and fast to make. The only tricky part is making sure you scrape the cheese from the bottom of the pan while stirring it in. If you’re eating it the second day, add water as it will have thickened in the fridge.

When serving, make sure to add more cheese and pepper - and enjoy this bowl full of healthy comfort.

• M. Eileen Brown is the Daily Herald’s vice president of sales and marketing and an incurable soup-a-holic. She specializes in vegetarian soups and blogs at http://soupalooza.com/

Cacio e Pepe Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion (8 ounces), chopped

2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely grated

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

6 cups no-salt-added vegetable broth

8 ounces spinach (or curly kale, stemmed and chopped)

2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added chickpeas, drained and rinsed

8 ounces orzo

5 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated, plus more for serving

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving

1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium heat, heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned. Add the garlic and lemon zest and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the stock, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Add the spinach, chickpeas and orzo. Reduce the heat to medium, so the liquid is simmering, and cook until the orzo is tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the cheese and butter and stir until the butter is melted, then stir in the pepper and salt. Scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent too much cheese from sticking; although some is inevitable. Taste, and season with more salt and/or pepper as needed.

Serve with a little more cheese and pepper to each bowl, and serve hot.

Serves 4

Adapted from “Comfort & Joy” by Ravinder Bhogal (Bloomsbury, 2023).