Vegetable Orzo Stew
This is actually a Vegan recipe, which I hadn’t quite realised until I started writing out the ingredients! It is an easy mid-week meal to rustle up and throw together with whatever is in your fridge, so very adaptable. We have a Riverford Vegetable box delivered each week, which I find really helps with my cooking and creativity.
Ingredients: (serves 4)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, bashed and with the skins still on
4 celery stalks, finely sliced
3 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
2 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
3 red peppers, roughly chopped
100g of different varieties of tomatoes, roughly chopped
A couple of sprigs of thyme
A large handful of kale, spinach or cavolo nero (any green veg will do!)
300g orzo
1 tin of tomatoes
600ml vegetable stock
Preheat the oven to 180C and cook the peppers, tomatoes, garlic with the skins still on and some thyme for about 30-40 minutes until soft and cooked through.
In a medium-sized pan, heat the oil and slowly sweat the onions with a little salt too, adding the celery, along with the garlic from the oven but now crushed and with the skins removed, once the onions have started to soften.
Next add the chilli flakes, sun-dried tomato paste and spices before adding the orzo and leave it to gently toast for a couple of minutes. Add the stock and a tin of tomatoes and gently simmer for 10-15 minutes until the orzo is properly cooked.
Lastly add the kale, peppers and tomatoes and voilà!
Tip: if you have lots of tomatoes then there is probably no need to add the tin of tomatoes and if you are not looking for a completely meat-free meal then add some chicken stock and maybe some chorizo too.
