Lemony Spiced Orzo and Chickpeas

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Lemony orzo and chickpeas are simmered in a lightly-spiced broth and tossed with spinach.

A brand new favourite 1-pan, 10-ingredient, 30-minute meal right here in our home. ♡

Orzo and chickpeas are simmered in a golden broth with turmeric, cumin, onion, garlic, lemon zest and a touch of sizzling chili flakes till tender. Then simply wilt in just a few handfuls of child spinach, add one closing large splash of lemon juice, and sprinkle on some recent cilantro (if that’s your factor). And this beautiful, flavorful, easy dinner will probably be able to serve very quickly!

We’ve loved serving this one by itself for a easy vegetarian dinner, or including some pan-seared salmon or shrimp on the aspect. Or we’ve discovered that this recipe additionally tastes simply as scrumptious served chilly as a pasta salad, making it an incredible possibility for picnics, potlucks, or grill nights this time of 12 months.

Nonetheless you serve these orzo and chickpeas, I hope you like them as a lot as we do!

Lemony Spiced Orzo and Chickpeas Substances

Listed below are just a few transient notes concerning the components you’ll need to make this orzo and chickpeas recipe:

• Orzo: The stunning al dente texture of orzo pairs fantastically with the chickpeas and soaks up all of that deliciously spiced broth whereas cooking. I really like utilizing orzo on this dish as a result of it cooks rapidly, however you’re welcome to substitute in another small pasta form that you might have readily available.
• Chickpeas: A can of chickpeas provides scrumptious nutty taste, creamy texture, and additional protein to this dish.
• Greens: We love stirring in just a few handfuls of recent child spinach or chopped kale on the finish for an additional pop of coloration and vitamins. The new orzo and chickpeas will wilt the greens after only a minute or so of stirring.
• Lemon: Recent lemon brightens up the flavour of this dish and its tanginess completely balances the heat of the spices. We’ll use each the zest and juice of 1 small lemon to maximise its taste.
• Onion and garlic: Recent onion and garlic function our base aromatics on this recipe, which we’ll sauté in a drizzle of olive oil.
• Spices: A easy mix of floor turmeric, floor cumin, and crushed crimson pepper flakes add a scrumptious earthiness, wealthy golden coloration, and refined trace of warmth to the orzo and chickpeas. Don’t neglect to additionally style and season the dish earlier than serving with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper.
• Broth: We sometimes use vegetable broth to prepare dinner the orzo, however rooster broth might work as an alternative too.
• Cilantro: Lastly, we love topping this dish with a beneficiant sprinkling of chopped recent cilantro. But when cilantro isn’t your factor, chopped recent chives, mint, or parsley can be scrumptious too, or you would simply skip the additional herbs all collectively.

Ideas For Making This Recipe

Full directions are included within the recipe card beneath, however listed here are just a few additional ideas to make sure success with this recipe!

• Maintain stirring. Orzo can generally tend to stay to the underside of the pan if left unattended for too lengthy, so remember to give it a very good stir each couple of minutes.
• Regulate the quantity of broth as wanted. Likewise, keep watch over the quantity of broth within the pan. If the broth is working low and the orzo nonetheless wants extra time to prepare dinner, simply add in an additional 1/4 cup at a time as wanted.
• Style and season. When you’ve added the lemon and spinach, don’t neglect to style and season the dish with salt and pepper as wanted. Be at liberty so as to add in any additional lemon or spices too.
• Get pleasure from sizzling or chilly! This recipe is equally pleasant recent off of the range or chilled as a pasta salad, so please take pleasure in each!

Recipe Variations

Listed below are just a few extra variations on this recipe that you simply’re welcome to strive:

• Add coconut milk: Add one (14 to 15-ounce) can of coconut milk rather than a part of the broth to offer the pasta a fair creamier coconut base.
• Add ginger: Just a few teaspoons of grated recent ginger would even be scrumptious right here!
• Add additional veggies. Sauté some extra veggies in with the onion and garlic, corresponding to bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, or zucchini. (You’ll possible want so as to add some additional broth and seasonings to compensate for the additional quantity.)
• Add a protein: Sauté floor beef, pork, or rooster in with the onion and garlic. Or (my favourite) prepare dinner some salmon, rooster, steak or shrimp to serve alongside the dish.
• Regulate the spices: There are all kinds of warming spices that will be scrumptious right here, so please be at liberty to mess around with completely different spices and/or modify the quantities of these included right here.
• Make it spicy: Add in some chopped recent chiles or improve the quantity of crushed crimson chili flakes to amp up the warmth.

Extra Chickpea Recipes

In search of extra vegetarian chickpea recipes to strive? Listed below are just a few of our favorites:

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