Protein Packed Caramelised Onion Orzo
- 16 ingredients
Sweet, caramelised onions, creamy tofu, and a drizzle of herby pesto oil come together in this dreamy orzo dish. It’s cosy, delicious, and brings 23g of protein to every bowl.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the risotto
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 large onions, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 250ml white wine
- ½ bunch thyme
- 400g orzo
- 1.25L stock
- 300g silken tofu
- 25g nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp vinegar (red wine or balsamic)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Pesto oil
- 1 tbsp green pesto
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
To serve
- Pesto oil
- Chives
- Cracked black pepper
Before you start
Large deep frying pan | Air fryer
Step 1
Prepare ingredients
- Thinly slice the onions
- Strip the thyme sprigs and finely chop
- Peel and grate the garlic
- Finely chop the chives
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 large onions, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 250ml white wine
- ½ bunch thyme
- 400g orzo
- 1.25L stock
- 300g silken tofu
- 25g nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp vinegar (red wine or balsamic)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp green pesto
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Step 2
Caramelise onion
- In a large deep frying pan, heat the olive oil over a low-medium heat
- Add the sliced onions and a generous pinch of salt and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until they are soft then increase the heat to medium and cook for a further 10 minutes until very soft and taking on a nice golden colour
- If the onions are browning too quickly then add a splash of water to help them on their way
- Add 1 tbsp brown sugar and turn the heat to medium-high stirring constantly for a further 5-10 minutes until the onions are deep golden brown
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 large onions, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 250ml white wine
- ½ bunch thyme
- 400g orzo
- 1.25L stock
- 300g silken tofu
- 25g nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp vinegar (red wine or balsamic)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp green pesto
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Step 3
Make pesto oil
- Combine the pesto and extra virgin olive oil in a small bowl
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 large onions, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 250ml white wine
- ½ bunch thyme
- 400g orzo
- 1.25L stock
- 300g silken tofu
- 25g nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp vinegar (red wine or balsamic)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp green pesto
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Step 4
Cook orzo
- Add the garlic and thyme to the onions for one minute then add the wine and deglaze, releasing the fond from the base of the pan
- Simmer until the wine has reduced by 3/4s
- Add the orzo and stock and reduce the heat to medium so that pan is simmering
- Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente, stirring regularly
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 large onions, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 250ml white wine
- ½ bunch thyme
- 400g orzo
- 1.25L stock
- 300g silken tofu
- 25g nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp vinegar (red wine or balsamic)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp green pesto
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Step 5
Add in tofu
- Add the tofu into a bowl and whisk very well until smooth or hand blend until smooth
- Stir in the tofu, nutritional yeast and vinegar until combined
- Taste and season with salt and pepper
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 large onions, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 250ml white wine
- ½ bunch thyme
- 400g orzo
- 1.25L stock
- 300g silken tofu
- 25g nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp vinegar (red wine or balsamic)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp green pesto
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Step 6
Serve
- Generously spoon into bowls
- Drizzle over the pesto oil
- Sprinkle over the black pepper and chives
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 large onions, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 250ml white wine
- ½ bunch thyme
- 400g orzo
- 1.25L stock
- 300g silken tofu
- 25g nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp vinegar (red wine or balsamic)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp green pesto
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil