Things I have to test:
Whether to add a little sugar (which I would add when the carrots, celery and shallot are sauteing); whether to add any of the roasted garlic, minced.
I give the option of pre-cooking your orzo, but I don't recommend that, it's really just a time saver. Orzo is one of those fantastic pastas that will pick up the flavor of whatever it cooks in, so slowly simmering it with the soup will yeild the best flavor. But we all don't have 4 hours to make a batch of soup, right?
I think I'm going to try making this either thursday or friday.
Any suggestions on other ingredients that might be good? I'm debating a little fresh oregano with the basil, and it might taste really great to throw in some butter with the tomatoes when they're roasting... Hmmm...
Oooh, and I bet it would be really great to throw a bone in there with it, like a nice roast beef bone or something.
Definitely add the sugar. Don't precook the orzo, it tastes so much better cooked in the soup and doesn't take that long. You have to make the soup in a huge stock pot, though, because the orzo will like double the total size.
I didn't try any butter with the tomatoes while they were roasting, but I tried throwing the basil in there with it and learned that roasted basil does not taste or smell good. I had to strain it out. A little olive oil might be good on them, but butter might be overkill.
If you don't want to blend some of the ingrients with an immersion blender, you can add a little cream for the same thickening effect.
The basil and white wine yeild a really fresh and sweet soup, I think oregano would not be good in it.