One Pot Brothy Orzo

One Pot Brothy Orzo

This one pot brothy orzo is genuinely one of those recipes we keep coming back to on weeknights when we want something proper comforting but don't want a pile of washing up. The orzo soaks up this gorgeous, garlicky, herby broth and goes almost risotto-like in texture, which is just the best thing. Sundried tomato paste and oregano give it that deep Mediterranean warmth, and the little kick of chilli makes it feel a bit special without being complicated. It's the kind of bowl that makes you want to curl up on the sofa with a big hunk of bread. Make it tonight, you won't regret it.

Cook: 20 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Large saucepan
  • Microplane or fine grater (for lemon zest)

Ingredients

  • 1 onion
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1 large carrot
  • 2 sticks of celery
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 2 tbsp sundried tomato paste
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes
  • 200g orzo
  • 2 vegetable stock cube
  • 100g cavolo nero
  • 1 lemon
  • crusty bread

Method

1

Prepare the vegetables

  • Peel and finely chop the onion, garlic
  • Peel the carrot and cut into rounds
  • Roughly chop the celery
2

For the broth

  • Heat the olive oil In a large saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and a big pinch of salt and saute for 6-8 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the oregano, sundried tomato paste and chilli flakes and saute for another minute. Add the orzo, vegetable stock and 1.2 litres of boiling water. Bring the soup to the boil then cover and simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan
3

Finish and serve

  • Remove the cavalo nero from the woody stalks, add it to the pot and allow it to wilt in the heat of the soup. Add the zest and juice from the lemon to the pot. Taste and season with salt and pepper
  • Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with crusty bread

Tips & Variations

  • Go heavy on the salt early: We know it sounds obvious but seasoning the onions, carrots and celery well right at the start really builds the flavour foundation. Don't be shy with it.
  • Add a parmesan rind: If you've got a rind of vegan parmesan or even a block of it kicking about in the fridge, chuck it in while the broth simmers. It adds this incredible savouriness that takes the whole thing up a level.
  • Serve it straight away: Orzo keeps absorbing liquid as it sits, so this one is best eaten fresh out of the pot. If you're reheating leftovers, just splash in a bit more stock to loosen it up again.

Why This Works

The real magic here is cooking the orzo directly in the broth rather than boiling it separately. It absorbs all that flavour as it cooks, so every single piece of pasta is seasoned all the way through. Sauteing the sundried tomato paste with the aromatics before adding any liquid is key too, it concentrates the flavour and gives the whole broth this lovely rich depth.