Go Back

Spring Green Orzo "Risotto" (Vegan)

5 from 3 reader reviews
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 3 -4
Print Recipe Pin On Pinterest Leave Review

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours and drained
  • ½ cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
  • ½ cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed
  • 1 tablespoon white miso
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 3 cups vegetable stock, divided (plus extra if needed)
  • 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
  • ½ lb (227 grams) asparagus, tough ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 medium shallot, small dice
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • pinch red pepper flakes, optional
  • ½ lb (227 grams) orzo pasta
  • 1-3 teaspoons lemon juice, to taste

Instructions

  • In an upright blender, combine the cashews, edamame, spinach (no need to squeeze the moisture out), miso, nutritional yeast, and ¾ cup of vegetable stock. Blend on high until completely smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
  • Place a deep skillet or braiser pot over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and swirl it around. Add the asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until bright green and beginning to soften, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Transfer the cooked asparagus to a plate and set aside.
  • Return the skillet to medium heat and add remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the shallots. Sauté the shallots until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes (if using). Sauté for another 30 seconds.
  • Add the orzo pasta to the skillet and stir to toast for a minute or so. Then, add the remaining vegetable stock and stir. Season with salt and pepper before bringing to a boil. Then, lower the heat to a simmer and cook until orzo is soft, about 8 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot often. The orzo will want to stick to the bottom of the pot, so just keep stirring. You want to keep the consistency nice and fluid.
  • Once the orzo is soft and the mixture is slightly creamy, add the cashew edamame cream to the skillet and stir to combine. It will seem too soupy at first! Keep stirring over medium heat and gradually the orzo will absorb the liquid. Adjust the seasoning if necessary and then stir in the lemon juice and sautéed asparagus. You should have a creamy risotto-like texture at this point.
  • Serve the spring green orzo hot and enjoy!

Equipment

Recipe Notes

  • You can replace cashews with macadamia nuts (soak for at least 8 hours), pine nuts, or raw sunflower seeds. If you don’t mind the grassy flavor of hemp seeds, those work as well!
  • This recipe may behave differently with a gluten-free orzo or other tiny pasta. Regular wheat-based pasta lets off a lot of creamy starch. If you’re using GF pasta, I’d start with only 1 ½ cups of the vegetable stock and add more as it cooks if necessary.
  • I find that one pan orzo recipes like this just love to stick to the bottom of the pan. Stir often, scraping up the bottom of the pan, to avoid this!
  • The frozen spinach that I buy comes in these convenient little ¼ cup portions (I think they’re designed for smoothies), so I just thaw 2 of them.
  • I like a lot of acidic flavor in my food, but know that this is not the case for others. I recommend starting with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and then adding more if you like. I personally go up to 1 tablespoon!
Ready in 40 minutes with 12-ish simple ingredients this spring green orzo is lusciously creamy with a bright hint of lemon. Edamame, frozen spinach, and asparagus add a dose of veggie goodness to this easy pasta dinner.