Baked Beetroot Orzo

Baked Beetroot Orzo

This one has become a proper staple in our kitchens. There's something almost magic about beetroot and orzo baked together; the orzo soaks up all that deep, earthy sweetness and turns this incredible shade of pink that honestly looks stunning on the table. It's the kind of dish that feels a bit special but comes together in about 30 minutes with barely any fuss. The gremolata on top cuts through with brightness and freshness, tying the whole thing together beautifully. Make this tonight, seriously.

Cook: 30 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 180°C
  • Microplane
  • Large ovenproof pan with lid

Ingredients

  • 400g fresh beetroot
  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 300g orzo
  • 800ml vegetable stock
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
  • handful of parsley
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • flaky sea salt
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • good quality plant-based burrata

Method

1

For the orzo

  • Wearing gloves to prevent pink hands, peel and grate the beetroot
  • Peel and crush the garlic
  • In your pan, add the grated beetroot, garlic, thyme sprigs, orzo and ½  tsp salt. Pour over the veg stock and cover
  • Transfer to the oven, and cook for 22-25 minutes, stirring once or twice. The orzo is ready when it is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed
  • Whilst the orzo bakes, make the gremolata
2

For the gremolata

  • Remove the leaves from the stem of the parsley and thyme
  • Finely chop the parsley
  • Using a microplane, zest the lemon
  • In a small bowl, combine the herbs with the lemon zest, squeeze of lemon juice, olive oil and pinch of sea salt
3

Tuck in

  • When the orzo is cooked through, remove from the oven
  • Top with the oozy burrata and dot over the zesty gremolata
  • Divide between 4 bowls, or eat straight from the pan!

Tips & Variations

  • Wear gloves: We cannot stress this enough. Grating raw beetroot without gloves is a decision you will regret. Pink hands for days. Trust us on this one.
  • Stir it once or twice: Don't just pop it in the oven and forget it. Give it a stir halfway through so it cooks evenly and doesn't catch on the bottom of the pan.
  • Make it creamy: We love stirring a spoonful of vegan cream cheese through at the end. It makes the whole thing a bit richer and more indulgent, and it works so well with the beetroot.

Why This Works

The trick here is baking the orzo rather than boiling it on the hob. It absorbs the stock slowly and steadily, which means every single piece is packed with that sweet beetroot flavour all the way through. The thyme adds this lovely herby depth in the background, and finishing with the gremolata gives you that hit of acidity and freshness that stops it feeling heavy.