Description
This vegan one pot orzo with broccoli and butter beans is a quick and delicious comfort meal! It’s ready in just 25 minutes and packed with a fair amount of plant based protein. In order to ensure maximum flavor, the broccoli is seared in the pan beforehand then added back in towards the end of cooking.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 large crown broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
- Sea salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 5-6 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups low sodium vegetable broth, divided
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- 8 ounces uncooked orzo pasta
- 1 can cooked butter beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- Finely chopped parsley, for garnish
- Lemon zest, for garnish
Instructions
Heat a large braising pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and once it shimmers, add the broccoli florets. Season with a pinch of salt then spread them into an even layer. Let the broccoli cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, then add 1 tablespoon of water, cover the pot, and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Remove the broccoli from the pot and set aside for now.
Wipe out the pan/pot then return it to the heat and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Once the oil shimmers, add the shallot and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring regularly, until the shallot is translucent (2-3 minutes) then add the thyme and garlic. Cook for an additional minute, stirring regularly. Add the orzo, 2 ¾ cups of the vegetable broth, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 6 minutes, stirring regularly to keep the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pan/pot.
While the orzo simmers, mix the remaining ¼ cup of broth with the miso paste in a small bowl until the miso is fully incorporated. Once the orzo has simmered for 6 minutes, stir in the broth/miso mixture, the cooked broccoli, the butter beans, and the nutritional yeast. Simmer for an additional 2-4 minutes, stirring regularly, until the orzo is al dente. Remove from the heat. Taste and add more salt/pepper as needed.
Garnish with finely chopped parsley and lemon zest before serving.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 5-6 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stove with a couple of splashes of broth or water.
Notes
- If you purchased a quart of vegetable broth, you’ll have 1 cup left over. You can use it to warm up leftovers, or, if you prefer your orzo on the brothy side, you can stir in an extra 1/2 cup once the orzo is done cooking.
- Based on the orzo, butter beans, and broccoli I used, the entire recipe contains roughly 60g of protein, or 20g per serving if splitting it into 3 servings.
- Since the miso is fairly salty, I like to add a minimal amount of salt in the beginning, then wait until after the miso is added and the orzo is cooked to see if I need to season with more salt.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes