If using soy curls:

1. Rehydrate: Add the soy curls to a medium bowl. Cover the soy curls with 2 cups of the broth and press the curls down gently gently. Let sit for 10 minutes. When they’re rehydrated, use your fingers or some kitchen shears to cut any of the larger pieces into smaller pieces more suitable for soup. 
2. Cook until lightly browned: Heat a large nonstick pot (you can use the same pot you’ll use for the soup if you’d like) over medium high heat. Working with one handful at a time, gently squeeze the excess broth out of the soy curls and throw them in the skillet. You don’t have to go crazy getting them dry--just gently squeeze them once over the bowl and add to the pan. DON’T DISCARD THE REMAINING BROTH! You can strain out any of the remaining tiny pieces of soy curl and add it to your soup as part of the 6 cups the recipe calls for.
3. Add a little oil if you want: Stir them often with a wood or silicone spoon/spatula. If you notice them start to get really dark or burned, turn the heat way off. After they start to get a little brown, you can optionally drizzle them with a little olive oil. This helps the texture firm a bit more (gives a more authentic mouthfeel to meat because of the bit of fat it imparts) but it’s not necessary.
4. Set aside: Remove them from the pot and place in a bowl. It’s best to add them to the soup when the soup is nearly done so that the soy curls don’t absorb too much more broth and lose their texture.

To make the soup:

1. Heat oil or cook oil-free: Add a tablespoon or two of olive oil or avocado oil (or a similar oil) to your large nonstick pot and heat over medium high heat. OR if you’re oil-free, keep adding broth or water a tablespoon at a time while you cook the veggies and stir constantly to keep from burning or sticking.
2. Cook mirepoix (the base veggies): Add the onions, celery, and carrots to the pot and stir frequently for 3 minutes until somewhat softened. Add the garlic and dried thyme and cook for 30 seconds more, until fragrant.
3. Slowly pour in the broth: Now place the bay leaves and the sprig of rosemary in the broth and lightly press them down so they are submerged for a few seconds. They’ll float back up but that’s OK. Bring the whole thing to a boil.
4. Add orzo: Add the orzo and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 8-10 minutes, checking and stirring occasionally.
5. Add soy curls: When the orzo is nearly finished (takes about 10 minutes for me), add back the cooked soy curls (if using). Let those heat in the soup for about 1-2 minutes.
6. Remove large herbs: Now remove your bay leaves and the stem from the rosemary. It’s totally normal and OK if the leaves of the rosemary fell off. They should be tender enough to eat now. If not, simmer your soup for a little longer.
7. Add greens: Add in the spinach and stir it around till it wilts. This will take about 30-60 seconds. I know it looks like a lot of spinach but it really shrinks when it cooks, I promise.
8. Season to taste: Taste the broth. If you’d like, add some sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Remove from heat.
9. Add lemon: Add the fresh squeezed lemon juice to taste once you’ve removed it from the heat. I like about ¼ cup lemon juice (2 smallish lemons’ yields, usually) in my soup. 
10. Serve: Serve immediately and garnish each serving with a generous amount of finely chopped parsley. Enjoy! This is really good with a hunk of bread, if you like carbs as much as we do lol.
11. Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days. The pasta will absorb some of the broth and the lemon flavor may fade a bit. When reheating, feel free to add a bit more vegan chicken broth and a fresh squeeze of lemon (add this after it’s reheated). It freezes well, too--just let it cool down before freezing.