Description

This one-pan lemony leek orzo is the perfect quick and easy weeknight dinner that’ll have everyone coming back for seconds! Think buttery orzo and butter beans, cooked in a garlicky leek sauce with spinach and fresh parsley. Like what more could you want?

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup orzo, dry
4 tbsp olive oil
1 leek, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tsp italian herbs
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
1 tbsp butter or vegan butter
1/2 cup cashew milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 can (14 oz) butter beans or cannellini beans*
2 handfuls of spinach
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
Fresh minced parsley, for garnish
Zest of 1 lemon, for garnish

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Instructions

Prep the aromatics and spices. Before you start cooking, I highly recommend prepping the leeks, garlic, and spices (mise en place) to help the cooking process go smoothly.
Prepare the orzo. Prepare the orzo according to package instructions. Once the orzo is done, drain in a colander and set aside.
Make the creamy lemony leek sauce. In the same pan (I used a deep skillet), add the olive oil and heat on medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add in the leeks and minced garlic. Cook the aromatics for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the garlic has just browned and the leeks are tender. Sprinkle in the spices, kosher salt, and butter. Stir and fry the spices for an additional 1 minute or until fragrant. Finally, add in the cashew milk and lemon juice. Stir the sauce and let it reach a soft boil.
Finish the dish. Once the sauce has reached a soft boil and thickened slightly, add in the cooked orzo, butter beans, and spinach, and sprinkle over the nutritional yeast. Stir to combine and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. Let the orzo continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes until the sauce is super creamy and the spinach has wilted.
Garnish and serve. Garnish the lemony leek orzo with fresh minced parsley and lemon zest.

Notes

*One of the great things about this dish is that you can pair it with any type of protein, ie. chicken thighs, beef, beans, fish, etc. If you do choose to use an animal protein, I’d recommend pan-searing it in olive oil before you start cooking the orzo in the pan.