Begin by finely chopping the red onion and three cloves of garlic, and then dice the carrot and leek, including the greens. Set your ingredients aside.

In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add the chopped onion, garlic, carrot, and leek, sautéing for roughly 6 minutes until softened.

Dissolve one vegetable broth cube in hot water to create approximately 6 1/3 cups of broth. Keep it warm on the stovetop.

Add 4.25 cups of orzo to the pot with the sautéed vegetables. Pour in the prepared vegetable broth and 1 teaspoon of dried thyme. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 12 minutes.

After 12 minutes, taste the soup and adjust the seasoning. Stir in the juice of half a lemon and the fresh dill sprigs.

Ladle the hot soup into bowls, garnishing with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and extra dill if desired. Serve with crusty bread.