Creamy Lemon Zucchini Orzo
Not sure how to use up the rest of that summer zucchini? This Creamy Lemon Zucchini Orzo is just the thing. The perfect vegan side dish!
Summer is coming to an end. And this Creamy Lemon Zucchini Orzo is the perfect side that incorporates lots of veggies, is topped with fresh herbs and has a kick of freshness from the lemon juice. It is made creamy with a little vegan parm and non-dairy milk. It is basically the best side dish that you’ll want to serve with everything!
How to Prep the Zucchini
The best part about this recipe is all of the sneaky veggies in it! And to do that, you will need to do a couple of things to prep the zucchini. Start out by shredding it – you can do this by hand with a grater or use an attachment on a food processor. I definitely recommend the food processor option if you have one. Takes 30 seconds to get all of the zucchini shredded!
Grab a cheese cloth, or a clean kitchen towel, and add the shredded zucchini to it over a large bowl. Let it sit for a couple of minutes, then starting wringing out as much liquid as you can. Really get in there and squeeze away. You should end up with about a cup of liquid.
How to Cook
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the orzo. Cook it according to the package instructions and drain. Put the empty pot back on the stove and melt some vegan butter.
Add in a diced shallot, garlic, pepper, dried oregano and the shredded zucchini. Let this cook down for about 5 minutes, stirring it frequently. Add the orzo back to the pot along with vegan parmesan, non-dairy milk, fresh thyme, lemon juice and vegan bouillon (the bouillon isn’t essential, but I think it adds more flavor than just using salt).
Give everything a good stir and taste to see if it needs anything.
How to Serve
This is best served right away with plenty of fresh herbs and even more pepper. It will be its creamiest right off the stove, so I recommend eating right away. If it sits too long and starts to firm up, you can add a little more non-dairy milk or vegan butter to loosen it up.
I think this would be delicious with crispy chickpeas or Greek Tempeh Skewers!
Need More Recipe Inspo? Check these Out!
Did you Make this Recipe?
If you made this Creamy Lemon Zucchini Orzo I would LOVE to hear what you thought. Be sure to drop a comment and a rating below! You can also tag me on social media if you snapped a photo. I LOVE seeing your recreations!
Creamy Lemon Zucchini Orzo
Ingredients
- 3 large zucchini shredded
- 1 pound orzo dry
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 shallot diced
- 4 cloves garlic diced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup vegan parmesan
- 1/3 cup non-dairy milk unsweetened
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme finely chopped
- lemon juice to taste, I used 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon vegan bouillon or sub salt
- fresh herbs for serving, I used basil & oregano
Equipment
- food processor or hand grater
Instructions
- Shred the zucchini using a food processor, or by hand. Place a cheese cloth (or clean kitchen towel) over a large bowl and add the shredded zucchini. Allow it to sit for a couple of minutes, then wring out as much liquid from the zucchini as possible. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to the package instructions. Drain and place the empty pot back on the stove over medium heat.
- Melt the vegan butter in the pot, then add the shallot, garlic, oregano, pepper and zucchini. Cook down for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the orzo back to the pan with the remaining ingredients. Toss everything until combined. Taste and adjust lemon juice, salt and/or pepper as needed.
- Serve hot with fresh herbs.
Video
Notes
This was ridiculously good. I ate way too much for my first serving. I ate it cold the second time with some additional cold toppings and it was still a wonderful “pasta salad” for lunch.
So glad you liked this! I love the idea of eating this as a pasta salad too!