Summer Vegetable Orzo

This Summer Vegetable Orzo is the perfect easy weeknight dinner idea!
Let me ask you a question. How often do you not feel like cooking dinner? I’m really curious. Because I love to cook, and I still find myself not feeling like it at least three nights a week.

I think there’s a big difference between cooking (which I love) and cooking in real life (which is not as fun). Life causes busyness, stress, sibling fights, errands to run, and all of these things contribute to me not wanting to cook.

Anyone else? The problem is, even when I don’t feel like cooking, I usually do feel like good food. I want fresh vegetables; I don’t want something that is going to make me feel sluggish like so many restaurant meals can.

This dinner is the perfect I-don’t-feel-like-cooking dinner-but-I-still-want-good-food dinner.

There’s a little prep, but it’s pretty minimal. (Even better if you prep it ahead of time like in my Conquer Dinner method!) Everything comes together super quickly. 30 minutes or even less if you’re fast.

And it’s fresh, good food.

I use whole wheat orzo. I usually can’t find it in the store, but I order it from Amazon. I cook it in vegetable or chicken broth for maximum flavor.

Here I’m using seasonal summer produce, but you can sub out whatever vegetables you have on hand that cook quickly (or extend the cooking time a bit). The dish is finished with some parmesan cheese, which is just enough cheese to give great flavor but not make the dish too heavy.

Even if you don’t feel like cooking, this dinner needs to go on your list!

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Summer Vegetable Orzo

• Author: Happy Healthy Mama
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 very large summer squash, or 2-3 smaller summer squashes, diced
• 1 large tomato, seeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 4 cups loosely packed baby spinach, chopped
• 2/3 cup whole wheat orzo
• 1 1/3 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the summer squash to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook another 5 minutes.
3. Add the tomato, garlic, and spinach, and sauté for an additional 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, bring the orzo and vegetable or chicken stock to a boil in a small to medium sauce pan. Boil on low until the orzo is cooked and the stock is mostly absorbed, but there is still some stock left, about 6 minutes.
5. Add the orzo to the vegetable skillet and stir to combine. Add the parmesan cheese. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/2 of recipe
• Calories: 403
• Sugar: 8
• Fat: 17
• Carbohydrates: 43
• Fiber: 4
• Protein: 23

 

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