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One-Pot Spinach Artichoke Orzo with Chickpeas (Vegan)

4.89 from 9 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 3 -4
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Ingredients

  • ½ cup water
  • 5 oz (142 grams) baby spinach
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large shallot, fine dice
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • ¼ teaspoon ground chilies or chili flakes, optional
  • 1 tablespoon light miso
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 8 oz (227 grams) dry orzo pasta
  • 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas (from a 15 oz/443 ml can)
  • 2 cups chopped artichoke hearts from a can/jar
  • sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • 3 cups vegetable stock
  • ½ cup unsweetened rich non-dairy milk, such as cashew
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  • Set a large, deep skillet or braiser pot over medium heat. Pour in the water and add the baby spinach. Place a lid on top. Steam until spinach is wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Remove the spinach from the pot. Once the spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze out the excess moisture and give it a rough chop. Set aside.
  • Pour the remaining water in the pot into the sink before carefully wiping the pot out and returning it to medium heat on the stove. Pour the olive oil into the pot and swirl it around.
  • Add the shallots to the pot and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, lemon zest, and ground chilies. Sauté for 1 full minute. Add the miso, Dijon mustard, orzo, chickpeas, and chopped artichokes. Season with salt and pepper and stir.
  • Pour in the vegetable stock and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Simmer and stir often, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the orzo is tender/al dente and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 8 minutes.
  • Pour in the non-dairy milk, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Add the chopped spinach. Give everything a good stir to combine. Taste the orzo and adjust the seasoning if needed (more salt, lemon etc).
  • Serve the spinach artichoke orzo hot with extra chili on top if you like.

Recipe Notes

  • This recipe may behave differently with a gluten-free orzo (Delallo makes one) or other tiny pasta. Regular wheat-based pasta lets off a lot of creamy starch as you stir. If you’re using GF pasta, I’d start with only 2 cups of the vegetable stock and add more as it cooks if necessary.
  • I find that one-pot orzo recipes like this just love to stick to the bottom of the pot. Stir often, scraping up the bottom of the pot, to avoid this!
Enjoy the flavors of the classic dip in a hearty vegan dinner with this savory spinach artichoke orzo! This recipe takes 40 minutes to make and everything happens in one pot on the stove.