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    Home » Recipes » All recipes

    Creamy vegan orzo with chickpeas and roasted vegetables

    Published: Apr 18, 2019 · Modified: May 8, 2023 by Maria · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This creamy vegan Orzo with Roasted Spring Vegetables is a delicious and comforting dish that's perfect for sharing with friends and family. Made with a rich and flavorful cashew cream sauce and roasted spring vegetables, this dish is sure to be a crowd-pleaser at any dinner party.

    A bowl of creamy vegan orzo with roasted vegetables.

    If you'd love more veggie pasta dishes make sure to check out my grilled veggie summer pasta salad and this delicious Dairy Free Israeli Couscous Salad.

    Jump to:
    • ❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • 🍠 Ingredient Notes
    • 👩‍🍳 Tips for Success
    • 🔪 Directions
    • 🥦 Variations & substitutions
    • 🥄 Recommended Equipment
    • ❄️ Storing and reheating
    • 🥗 Serving Suggestions
    • ❓ FAQ's
    • ❓ FAQ's
    • 🍝 Try these recipes next
    • 📖 Recipe

    ❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe

    • It's vegan, dairy free and gluten-free and made with simple ingredients, making it accessible to a variety of dietary needs.
    • The combination of creamy cashew sauce and roasted spring vegetables creates a flavorful and satisfying meal.
    • Can be eaten as a main dish or side dish. Great as a one pot easy vegan weeknight meal. 
    • This recipe is easy to prepare and perfect for a weeknight dinner or a special occasion.
    • This is an amazing one-pot meal to serve at a dinner party or potluck. I love serving a big bowl of pasta for dinner parties because it’s an affordable and easy way to feed a small group of people.
    • It's versatile and you can use whatever vegetables are in season and easy to get your hands on. What better way to celebrate each season than by centering meals around seasonal produce?

    🍠 Ingredient Notes

    A baking sheet pan full of asparagus, sweet potatoes and red onions.
    • Raw cashews - When boiled and blended, cashews create a rich and creamy base for the orzo.
    • Nutritional yeast - Adds a cheesy and savory flavor to the sauce.
    • Vegetables - Fresh asparagus, sweet potato, red onion, chickpeas, and leeks create a colorful and nutritious blend of roasted vegetables.
    • Vegetable broth or bouillon - veggie stock adds a nice rich depth of flavor to the whole recipe.
    • Seasonings - I love using garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper. I also love using steak seasoning to season the vegetables.
    • Orzo pasta - This is the star of the show. Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta made of durum wheat and is easy to find in any grocery store.
    • Lemon juice - this adds a nice acidity and pop of flavor which balances and brings out the flavors in the whole dish.
    • Olive oil - a little goes a long way. We're using this to coat the veggies in and then roast them.

    👩‍🍳 Tips for Success

    • Use non-stick baking mat or parchment paper to make this recipe oil-free.
    • The cashew cream sauce may thicken and dry out over time, so add liquid to smooth it out again when reheating.
    • Cook the orzo al dente so it doesn't get too mushy. Do this especially if you're making a big batch for meal prep, that way it won't get too soggy when you reheat it.

    🔪 Directions

    1. Soak cashews in hot water for 10 minutes before blending with other sauce ingredients.
    2. Season vegetables with oil and seasoning then roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
    3. Cook orzo pasta according to directions. Strain and then add back to the pot. Mix in cashew sauce, roasted vegetables, chickpeas, and lemon juice.
    4. Season to taste and enjoy!

    🥦 Variations & substitutions

    • Use different vegetables, such as broccoli, red bell peppers or zucchini, in place of the roasted vegetables.
    • Add your favorite herbs or spices to the dish to make it your own.
    • Add in a homemade vegan pesto to add even more flavor.
    • Add in some kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes or cherry tomatoes.
    • If you don't have chickpeas, cannellini beans work great in this vegetarian orzo recipe.
    • If you don't have lemon juice, you can use white wine.
    • You can swap baby spinach for the kale if you have that on hand.

    🥄 Recommended Equipment

    • Blender for creating the cashew cream sauce.
    • Baking tray for roasting vegetables.
    • Large pot for cooking orzo pasta.
    Orzo with cashew cream in a bowl with roasted vegetables.

    ❄️ Storing and reheating

    Fridge - Let the dish come to room temperature, then store the leftover vegan orzo in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

    Freezer - This recipe freezes really well. If you're going to freeze it, make sure to cook the orzo al dente so it doesn't get too soft and mushy when you reheat it. Let it thaw in the fridge, then reheat.

    Reheat - Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop with added liquid to smooth out the sauce.

    🥗 Serving Suggestions

    • Top this creamy orzo with fresh herbs, such as fresh parsley, drizzle of olive oil or fresh basil, for added flavor.
    • Top with some vegan parmesan cheese or lemon zest or toasted pine nuts.
    • Serve with a bright and delicious salad or garlic bread to round out the meal.

    ❓ FAQ's

    Is this recipe gluten free?The orzo isn't gluten free, but if you can find gluten-free orzo or gluten-free pasta, this recipe is gluten free.

    What if I don't have cashews?You can substitute silken tofu for the cashews, or a can of white beans like great northern beans. Just blend it up with the rest of the ingredients.

    Can I use roasted cashews?Roasted cashews will create a different flavor for this recipe and I don't recommend using them.

    ❓ FAQ's

    Is this recipe gluten free?

    The orzo isn't gluten free, but if you can find gluten free orzo or pasta, this recipe is gluten free.

    What if I don't have cashews?

    You can substitute silken tofu for the cashews, or a can of white beans like great northern beans. Just blend it up with the rest of the ingredients.

    Can I use roasted cashews?

    Roasted cashews will create a different flavor for this recipe and I don't recommend using them.

    Is orzo vegan?

    Orzo, is a small, rice-shaped pasta that is made of durum wheat. Like many dried pastas you buy at the grocery store, it is vegan and doesn't contain eggs. Make sure to read the ingredients just to be safe. Orzo recipes can easily be made vegan by using vegan butter, dairy free cream and dairy free cheese in place of cow dairy products.

    🍝 Try these recipes next

    • Close up of lentil lasagna
      Dairy free lasagna
    • Vegan bechamel sauce (white sauce) drizzled over steamed broccoli.
      Easy Vegan Bechamel Sauce (White Sauce)
    • Plate of homemade vegan pasta noodles with sauce
      How To Make Vegan Pasta Dough At Home (Egg Free Pasta Dough)
    • Dairy free alfredo sauce on fettuccini pasta in a bowl with vegan chicken
      Dairy free Alfredo sauce

    If you loved this recipe, leave a 5 ⭐️ rating on the recipe card and comment below!

    📖 Recipe

    Orzo with cashew cream and roasted vegetables in a bowl.

    Creamy Vegan Orzo with Chickpeas and Roasted Vegetables

    Creamy, comforting and delicious vegan orzo with roasted spring vegetables. Great meal to make for a dinner party and to share with friends.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Mediterranean
    Prep Time: 7 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 27 minutes minutes
    Servings: 7
    Calories: 367kcal
    Author: Maria
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    US Customary or Metric

    Cashew Cream Sauce

    • 1 cup raw cashews
    • 1 cup water
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 vegetable bouillon cube
    • 1½ lemons juiced
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
    • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    Pasta & Vegetables

    • 1 bunch of asparagus (cleaned and chopped small)
    • ½ sweet potato
    • ½ medium red onion
    • 14 can chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
    • 1 leek (rinsed and cleaned well and chopped small)
    • 1 teaspoon olive oil (optional)
    • Steak Seasoning to taste (or salt and garlic powder)
    • 2 cups dry orzo pasta
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

    Instructions

    To make cashew cream sauce

    • Boil some hot water and pour over raw cashews. Let sit for 10 minutes
      1 cup raw cashews
    • Drain the cashews and add all sauce ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth
      1 cup raw cashews, 1 cup water, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 vegetable bouillon cube, 1½ lemons juiced, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, ½ teaspoon salt

    Roast the vegetables

    • Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
    • Clean & rinse vegetables, especially asparagus and leeks. Cut into bite sized pieces
      1 bunch of asparagus, ½ sweet potato, ½ medium red onion
    • Lay vegetables out on baking tray. Add oil and steak seasoning or salt & garlic powder and mix. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown
      1 leek, 1 teaspoon olive oil, Steak Seasoning to taste

    Cook the orzo

    • Cook orzo on stove to according to directions. Once cooked, drain and add back to pan.
      2 cups dry orzo pasta

    Mix it all together

    • Add lemon juice, chickpeas, cashew cream and roasted vegetables to the pan you cooked the orzo in. Taste and add more salt or seasonings if needed. Enjoy!
      2 tablespoons lemon juice, 14 can chickpeas

    Notes

    You can make this oil free by using a non stick baking mat or parchment paper.
    Once this sits for a bit it begins to thicken and dry out. Just add a little liquid to smooth it out again, especially when reheating

    Nutrition

    Calories: 367kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 284mg | Potassium: 466mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2531IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @DamnTastyVegan or tag #DamnTastyVegan!

    The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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    About Maria

    Maria is the creator of the blog and YouTube channel Damn Tasty Vegan. She has been a vegetarian since 2005 and vegan since 2015. She loves showing new vegans how easy and delicious living a vegan lifestyle can be. She is passionate about animal welfare and strives to help change the way animals are viewed and treated, by helping people transition to a vegan lifestyle.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lori

      April 28, 2019 at 6:11 pm

      The spring vegetables add texture and color. Delicious

      Reply
    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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