Lemony Spiced Orzo and Chickpeas

• servings: 3 servings
• total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small white onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 cup uncooked orzo pasta

1 small lemon, zested and juiced

2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach

fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

chopped fresh cilantro, for topping

Directions

Sauté the aromatics

Heat oil in a large non-stick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic, cumin, turmeric, red pepper flakes, stirring frequently.

Simmer

Add vegetable broth, chickpeas, orzo, sea salt and lemon zest and stir to combine. Continue to cook until the mixture reaches a simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, or whatever temperature is needed to maintain a low simmer. Continue cooking, stirring fairly frequently so that the orzo does not stick to the bottom of the pan, until the orzo is al dente. If the orzo needs more liquid to cook, just add in ¼ cup of extra broth anytime needed.

Season

Once the orzo is al dente, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the spinach and lemon juice until the spinach has wilted. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Serve the orzo mixture warm, topped with a sprinkling of chopped fresh cilantro, and enjoy!

Notes

Substitute vegetable broth with chicken broth or coconut milk or a mix.

Add in Cashews for more crunch.

Add sausages for more protein