Caramelised Onion Orzo
Sweet, caramelised onions, creamy tofu, and a drizzle of herby pesto oil come together in this dreamy orzo dish. It’s cosy, delicious, and brings 23g of protein to every bowl.
Serves
Ingredients
For the Orzo
<item-todo-done>2 tbsp olive oil<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>4 large onions<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>3 cloves garlic<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>250ml white wine<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ bunch of thyme<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>400g orzo<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1.2 litre vegetable or plant-based chicken-flavoured stock<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>300g silken tofu<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>25g nutritional yeast<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp red wine vinegar<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> salt and pepper to taste<item-todo-done>
For the Pesto Oil
<item-todo-done>1 tbsp pesto<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tbsp olive oil<item-todo-done>
To serve
<item-todo-done> chives<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> black pepper<item-todo-done>
Before you start
Large deep frying pan | Air fryer
Prepare ingredients
- Thinly slice the onions
- Strip the thyme sprigs and finely chop
- Peel and grate the garlic
- Finely chop the chives
Caramelise onion
- In a large deep frying pan, heat the olive oil over a low-medium heat
- Add the sliced onions and a generous pinch of salt and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until they are soft then increase the heat to medium and cook for a further 10 minutes until very soft and taking on a nice golden colour
- If the onions are browning too quickly then add a splash of water to help them on their way
- Add 1 tbsp brown sugar and turn the heat to medium-high stirring constantly for a further 5-10 minutes until the onions are deep golden brown
Make pesto oil
- Combine the pesto and extra virgin olive oil in a small bowl
Cook orzo
- Add the garlic and thyme to the onions for one minute then add the wine and deglaze, releasing the fond from the base of the pan
- Simmer until the wine has reduced by 3/4s
- Add the orzo and stock and reduce the heat to medium so that pan is simmering
- Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente, stirring regularly
- Add the tofu into a bowl and whisk very well until smooth or hand blend until smooth
- Stir in the tofu, nutritional yeast and vinegar until combined
- Taste and season with salt and pepper
Serve
- Generously spoon into bowls
- Drizzle over the pesto oil
- Sprinkle over the black pepper and chives