Autumn Orzo

Variations of this cozy Autumn dish are always popular in our house. Grab a warm bowl and a spoon and curl up on the sofa for dinner tonight. A warm bowl of orzo is just gorgeous, one of our ultimate comfort foods. Tell us about your variations in the comments, we love to get inspired.

Liz x

Ingredients (serves 4 or 5)

• 1/2 a small kuri squash pumpkin, chopped into chunks
• 3 or 4 portobello mushrooms, halved or quartered
• a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
• a large knob of butter (we use dairy free Naturli)
• 1 leek, rinsed and finely chopped
• 3 sticks of celery, diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, finely diced
• 400g orzo pasta
• 1 liter of vegetable stock
• a small handful of fresh herbs eg rosemary and thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• your favourite cheese to serve (we stock an amazing vegan blue cheese that you have to try!)

Method

1. Turn your oven on to 200C. Spread the chopped mushrooms and pumpkin out into a tray and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss the tray to evenly coat the veg in the seasoning. Place in the oven to roast while you prepare the orzo.
2. In a large, heavy bottomed pan, sauté the leek, celery and garlic with the knob of butter and a little more olive oil. Season the vegetables with a little salt and pepper and cook on a medium-high temperature for 5 minutes or so until they are softened.
3. Add the orzo, herbs and vegetable stock to the pan and turn down the heat to a gentle simmer. Stir, then add a lid and gently cook until the pasta has absorbed all the stock and is soft. Stir every few minutes to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick. You may also need to add a splash more water. Taste a little pasta every now and then to see if it is done or if it is drying out and needs mor liquid.
4. After around 20-30 minutes, both the pasta and the roasted vegetables should be ready. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary then serve in warm bowls topped with the roasted vegetables and some cheese.