Sautee the vegetables: Pour the 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a medium-sized pot. Place this over medium-high heat and toss in the onion, celery, and carrots. Sautee these vegetables for 5 minutes or until the onions begin to soften and become translucent. Add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Continue to sautee everything for another minute.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine and let it simmer & reduce for a minute or two.

Add the stock to the pot along with 2 cups of water. Stir everything together, and let the liquid come to a simmer.

Add the tomatoes, beans, squash, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the pot. Stir everything together and let this continue to simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes.

Cook the orzo: Add the uncooked orzo to the pot and stir to combine it with everything. Let the orzo cook for roughly 10 minutes, stirring the pot every couple of minutes or so. After 10 minutes taste the orzo, it should be al dente. However, if you’d like for it to be softer simply cook it for an additional 2 to 4 minutes.

Add spinach: Toss the spinach into the pot and stir for a minute or until the spinach wilts.

Add the optional lemon juice and stir to combine. Finally taste and adjust the soup with additional salt and pepper until it is to your liking.

Serve the vegetable orzo soup into individual bowls and enjoy!