Lemon Orzo with Asparagus

Prep Time:

Serves

6-8 portions

Ingredients

  • 1 pound asparagus, woody ends trimmed and cut into 3 cm pieces
  • 4 cups vegetable stock
  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 3 cups orzo pasta
  • ½  cup green onions, whites and stalks, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
  • Salt to taste

For the dressing

  • 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dill
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste

Equipment 

  • Cutting board
  • Paring knife
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • Whisk
  • Bowls of various sizes
  • Medium pot
  • Strainer
  • Rasp
  • Tasting spoons
  • Dish towel

Created By

The recipe is brought to you by Growing Chefs! Ontario - a registered charity based in London, Ontario.

Directions

Get Organized!

  1. Gather your mise en place; get together all of the equipment needed for the recipe and gather your ingredients.

Get Prepped!

  1. Measure out the olive oil, vegetable stock, water, turmeric, and orzo and set aside.
  2. Slice the green onion thinly into rounds, using both the green and the white part of the onion, and discarding the root end.
  3. Finely chop the dill, using a chef’s knife or scissors.
  4. With a rasp, zest the lemon.  Cut in half, and squeeze out as much juice as possible, catching and discarding the seeds.
  5. Remove the peel from the garlic, and grate with a rasp.  Alternatively, you can mince the garlic finely with a chef’s knife.
  6. Crumble the feta cheese into a bowl.
  7. Clean the asparagus, remove the woody stems, and snap into one-inch pieces.

Get Cooking!

  1. In a pot of boiling water, cook asparagus until just tender, about 2 minutes. Rinse asparagus immediately in cool water to stop cooking.
  2. Pour the vegetable stock and water into a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the salt and turmeric.
  3. Add the orzo and cook with the water simmering gently until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.
  4. If there is more than 1 cup of additional liquid in the pot, drain orzo, but do not rinse it.
  5. Place the hot orzo in a spacious, heat-resistant bowl and add the asparagus and green onions.
  6. In a medium bowl, add the garlic for the dressing, along with the dill, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  Whisk together well, and season with salt and pepper.  Continue to whisk, and add the olive oil in a slow and steady stream to emulsify the dressing.
  7. Pour the dressing onto the orzo and mix together well.  Top with crumbled feta.

Created By

The recipe is brought to you by Growing Chefs! Ontario - a registered charity based in London, Ontario.