Vegetable Orzo

Cindy's Note:

This is a flavorful side dish. I usually serve it with roasted chicken or Italian sausages. Makes plenty so there is some leftover for lunch.

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 2 (14 ounce) cans italian seasoned chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups dried orzo pasta
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (4 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 fresh garlic clove, finely minced
• chopped fresh parsley (a generous handful)
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 fresh lemon
• parmesan cheese
• extra virgin olive oil (I use about a tablespoon)

Directions:

1. Cook orzo in chicken broth until tender (add water if necessary).
2. Sauté the the vegetables in butter until tender adding the garlic near the end to prevent burning.
3. This is where I usually add a little salt and fresh cracked pepper.
4. Drain the orzo and combine with the cooked vegetables and add the chopped parsley.
5. The heat of the other ingredients will wilt the parsley.
6. Stir in the juice of the 1/2 lemon and olive oil if desired.
7. Serve with grated Parmesan.
8. Enjoy.

Reviews

[CARML mama]

LOVE IT, had to tweak a little for what I had on hand but this is a recipe I will save and reuse again. I like it when a recipe is a little flexible and this one gets 10 stars in my book. Thank you for posting!

[Lori Mama]

Nice side dish. I used fresh mushrooms and regular chicken stock with some Italian herbs. :)

[Chef #1416989]

Wonderful side dish. I load it with extra vegetables for added nutrition. (I finely chop - squash, zucchini, etc.)