This One Pot Healthy Orzo dish is the perfect mess-free dinner that everyone will love. This orzo has the perfect balance of carbs from the pasta, protein from the chickpeas, and micronutrients and fiber from the veggies. Also, it’s made in one pot, so clean-up is so easy, similar to One Pot Enchilada! Other no-mess dinners I think you’ll love are One Pan Tuscan Pasta, Easy Peanut Udon Noodles, and One Pan Spicy Dumplings.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Veggie-Packed: This orzo dish is packed with SIX different veggies. Plus, the veggies are interchangeable so you can use whatever you have on hand.
- One Pot: Throw all of your ingredients into a pot and cook it up in one pot. No clean-up mess and just so easy!
- Ready in 20: This Healthy Orzo makes for the perfect weeknight dinner because it’s ready in just 20 (ish) minutes! If you don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen but want a fresh and healthy dinner, this is for you.
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Notes on Ingredients
- Orzo: You can use a gluten-free orzo or even a grain-free orzo to make this recipe gluten-free and paleo friendly! For another orzo recipe, make my Roasted Vegetable Orzo Salad!
- Chickpeas: Drain and rinse the chickpeas before using to help prevent gas and bloat.
- Zucchini: Veggies add bulk to this recipe. Moreover, feel free to substitute the zucchini or any of the veggies for what you enjoy and have on hand.
Please take note that this is important information about the ingredients used in this recipe and the FULL recipe with measurements and details can be found DOWN BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.
How do you make One Pot Healthy Orzo?
- Sauté the onion, garlic, tomatoes, zucchini and chickpeas.
- Add in the orzo and the water.
- Stir until all of the liquid is absorbed and add in the spinach and peas.
- Add in salt, pepper, and garlic powder and stir.
- Top with vegan parmesan and enjoy!
- Step 1: First, saute the veggies. Add in the orzo and water and cook until liquid absorbs.
- Step 2: Then, stir in the spinach, peas, and spices. Garnish with vegan parmesan and enjoy!
Commonly Asked Questions
The orzo should be tender and soft. Try a bite at the 10-minute mark to see if it needs to cook longer.
Store the leftover orzo in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a pan on the stove or in the microwave for a couple minutes.
Yes! Using gluten-free orzo or even rice would work.
Yes! Feel free to sub any of the vegetables. Veggies that are really good in this dish are chopped mushrooms, shredded kale, squash, and bell pepper.
I’d pair it with a simple starter salad, like my Classic Vegan Caesar Salad or my Longevity Salad. Then, for dessert (of course), make my addicting Vegan Gluten-Free Twix Bars.
“Super easy, delicious recipe! I used Arborio rice instead of orzo, since that’s what I had on hand.”
– Sarah
Extra Helpful Tips
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Make sure to stir the orzo often while it’s cooking so it does not stick to the bottom of the pot!
- Add more liquid to the orzo if you use up the 4 cups and it’s still not tender.
- To keep the pasta from sticking together once cooked, add a little olive oil.
- I am obsessed with my Caraway Dutch Oven. It is non-toxic, non-stick, and makes cleaning up so easy.
If you tried this One Pot Healthy Orzo or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 5-star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
One Pot Healthy Orzo (20 minute dinner!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup onion diced yellow
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup zucchini diced
- 16 oz orzo
- 4 cups water
- 1 15oz can chickpeas
- 1 cup peas frozen
- 2 cups spinach chopped
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- vegan parmesan
- lemon juice squeeze fresh
- parsley fresh flat leaf
Instructions
- Prep your vegetables! Dice the onion, mince garlic, half the cherry tomatoes, dice the zucchini and strain and rinse your chickpeas.
- In a large pot on medium heat, sauté onion, garlic, tomatoes, zucchini and chickpeas for a few minutes.
- Pour in the orzo and water to your pot. Add in the salt. You can start with 4 cups of water and then add 2 cups more if the orzo still isn't tender. Bring to a boil.
- Turn stove down to medium and stir every 30 seconds until all of the liquid is absorbed. When it's almost done, add peas and spinach. This should take about 10 minutes.
- Taste the orzo when the liquid is absorbed and make sure it is tender to your liking.
- Season with nutritional yeast, pepper and more salt to taste if needed.
- Sprinkle on vegan parmesan, garnish with some fresh parsley, squeeze in fresh lemon juice and enjoy!
