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    Home » Recipes » Dinner

    Published: May 27, 2022 · Modified: Aug 19, 2022 by Melanie McDonald · This post contains affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 15 Comments

    Baked Vegan Orzo Recipe

    JUMP TO RECIPE PIN WATCH VIDEO
    5 from 15 votes
    Vegan Baked Orzo

    This Baked Vegan Orzo Recipe is an easy, throw it all in, one-pot wonder featuring tender orzo, cherry tomatoes & veggies topped with melty cheese!

    a dish of vegan orzo with a spoon

    This vegan orzo recipe feels so special! It's rich and delicious with pops of juicy sweet cherry tomato perfection all the way through. And it's cheesy, oh so cheesy. Such a treat!

    It's a gem of a recipe that's brought together with lots of simple yet vibrant flavour and texture. You just know it's going to be good when you see orzo, cheese, basil, and tomatoes going in... It's very much like a risotto but with baked creamy vegan orzo!

    In this post: Everything you need to make Vegan Baked Orzo:

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Vegan Orzo Recipe Step by Step
    • Variations
    • Serving suggestions
    • Storing leftovers
    • Recipe Video
    • Recipe
    • Comments & Reviews

    Ingredients

    Here's exactly what you need to make it:

    ingredients for vegan orzo recipe

    And a few ingredient notes:

    • Orzo - If you’ve never had orzo before, it’s sort of like pasta meets rice, as in it is actually a type of pasta but is shaped like grains of rice. This means it cooks really quickly and is really easy to eat. Just perfect for this baked vegan orzo situation. You'll find orzo pasta in almost all grocery stores with the other dried pasta. Gluten-free orzo is easy to find too. Got some leftover after making this? Give my Lemon Orzo Salad a try!
    • Veggies - Cherry tomatoes, onions, and garlic are the only ones that are required. You can then add one or two easy cooking veggies of choice. I used a large zucchini, but you could use any combination of zucchini, mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, red bell peppers, broccoli (chopped small), corn, or frozen peas. Just steer clear of harder veggies like sweet potato, cauliflower or squash as they will take too long to cook.
    • Cheese - Use a vegan cheese that is a good melter for this. I used Nabati Mozzarella. It melts incredibly!

    Vegan Orzo Recipe Step by Step

    Here's a quick summary of how to make this easy vegan orzo recipe (full and detailed instructions are in the recipe card):

    how to make vegan orzo step by step
    1. Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes, and other vegetables to a 9 x 13-inch dish and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper then partially bake.
    2. Add the dry orzo and everything else including the cold water, then bake again.
    3. Remove from the oven and stir. Most of the liquid will have been absorbed and the orzo will be almost cooked.
    4. Top with cheese, and bake again for a few minutes until melty, then broil if desired for an extra golden, bubbly top.
    a white dish with cheesy vegan orzo topped with fresh basil

    Success tip - If you have a water spray bottle when you put the vegan cheese on the top, give it a good squirt with water before you put the lid on and bake it again. The steam the water creates helps melt the vegan cheese better!

    Variations

    Want to switch things up?

    • Add some black olives, chickpeas/garbanzo beans or sautéed vegan sausage crumbles
    • Play around with the veggies. You can use whatever easy cooking veggies you have on hand. Peas and asparagus would make an amazing spring combo and mushrooms are really good too.
    • Add some dollops of vegan ricotta across the top with the shredded cheese.
    • Make it Greek style with kalamata olives, capers and feta cheese. The salty feta taste will work so well with the orzo, veggies, and tomatoes!
    • Use some dry white wine instead of some of the water for a special occasion.
    a bowl of cheesy vegan orzo with fresh basil

    Serving suggestions

    Serve Baked Vegan Orzo just as it is for a simple meal or as a side. Some great accompaniments include:

    • vegan parmesan cheese
    • a large bowl of fresh green crispy salad
    • freshly baked No-Knead Focaccia or some garlic bread
    • vegan chicken breasts

    Storing leftovers

    Store leftover vegan orzo in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It's great for reheating in a microwave or covered in an oven.

    If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it by leaving a comment and rating below! And be sure to join my mailing list for more deliciousness!

    Recipe Video

    Recipe

    baked orzo in a white dish

    Baked Vegan Orzo Recipe

    Author: Melanie McDonald
    5 from 15 votes
    This baked Vegan Orzo Recipe is an easy, throw it all in, one-pot wonder featuring tender orzo, cherry tomatoes & veggies topped with melty cheese!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved!
    PREP TIME: 5 minutes
    COOK TIME: 40 minutes
    TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes
    Servings: 6

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 medium onion , diced
    • 4 cloves garlic , minced
    • 3 cups (400 grams) cherry tomatoes , left whole
    • 1 large zucchini , diced (or roughly the same amount of any other easy cooking vegetable such as spinach, mushrooms, asparagus).
    • 3 tablespoons tomato paste , puree in the UK
    • 3 cups water , or half water half white wine
    • 2½ cups (1lb / 453 grams) uncooked orzo , or gluten-free orzo
    • 1 big handful fresh basil , chopped (or 2 teaspoons dried basil)
    • ¼ to ½ teaspoon chili flakes , optional
    • 2½ teaspoons sea salt , if using table salt adjust as necessary
    • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 1½ to 2 cups (180 - 240 grams) shredded vegan cheese , that melts well
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Preheat oven to 450F (230°C)
    • Add the olive oil, onion, garlic, whole cherry tomatoes, and zucchini (or other chopped veg to a 9 x 13-inch or similar oven-proof dish. (Unless you are using frozen peas or a leafy vegetable like spinach. Leave those out for now. )Toss together to coat with oil, then cook uncovered in the oven for 15 minutes.
    • After 15 minutes remove and turn the oven down to 400 °F (200°C).
    • To the vegetables add the tomato paste and the water and stir to combine and break up the tomato paste. Then throw in the orzo (raw), basil, chili flakes, salt, pepper, and any leafy vegetables/peas if using, then give it all good stir, making sure the orzo is all submerged.
    • Cover tightly with a lid, foil, or an upturned baking tray and bake for 15 minutes.
    • Uncover, sprinkle over lots of vegan cheese, cover again (to help the cheese melt) and bake for a further 10 minutes. If you have a water spray bottle, spray a few sprays of water over the cheese before covering. The steam will help it melt.
    • Take off the lid and broil for a couple of minutes until the top is bubbly and golden. Serve immediately.

    NOTES

    Store leftover vegan orzo in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It's great for reheating in a microwave or covered in an oven.

    NUTRITION

    Serving: 1servingCalories: 436kcalCarbohydrates: 72gProtein: 13gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 1357mgPotassium: 577mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 600IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 2mg

    Nutritional information is provided for convenience. The data is a computer generated estimate and should be used as a guide only.

    Tried this recipe?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @avirtualvegan on Instagram and hashtag it #avirtualvegan

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Tammy says

      December 20, 2022 at 2:20 pm

      5 stars
      We just finished dinner. This was surprisingly over the top delicious. The house filled with awesome Italian aroma. I will make this again and again. I will try some of the other variations you wrote about. The Mediterranean one looks interesting.

      It was also not a heavy meal. I kind of thought it would be heavy due to the Italian nature of it, but it wasn’t.

      Another great thing about this recipe, is other than the vegan cheese, we had everything in the fridge and pantry.

      Thank you for such a simple, but nutritious meal option.

      Reply
      • Melanie McDonald says

        December 20, 2022 at 2:29 pm

        I'm really pleased you enjoyed it Tammy! Have fun playing with the recipe. There are so many ways it can be adapted!

        Reply
    2. Rachelle says

      October 26, 2022 at 5:11 pm

      5 stars
      So simple and so amazing. Satisfied my basil craving 😂. I didn’t change a single thing. It was perfect. Can’t wait to try your other one-pot dishes!

      Reply
    3. Janet says

      August 11, 2022 at 4:36 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for dinner tonight. Easy to prepare and absolutely delicious. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    4. Donna says

      June 25, 2022 at 6:43 pm

      5 stars
      Made this and can't wait to make it again!! Thank you!

      Reply
    5. Carol says

      June 13, 2022 at 2:23 pm

      New to being Vegan. What type of vegan cheese melts well?TIA

      Reply
      • Melanie McDonald says

        June 13, 2022 at 2:38 pm

        I used Nabati Mozzarella. Tips for melting are included in the recipe instructions too.

        Reply
      • Lorri says

        January 08, 2023 at 12:31 pm

        Violife melts great too!

        Reply
    6. Lynne says

      June 08, 2022 at 8:02 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you Val, for another delicious recipe! You're a much spicier lady than I am so I cut back on the spices! I added some extra vegetables and am pleased that it is such a versatile recipe. This will certainly become a regular in our dinner rotations.

      Reply
    7. Natalya Copeland says

      June 04, 2022 at 10:07 am

      5 stars
      thank you!! very good!!

      Reply
    8. Shellie says

      May 31, 2022 at 1:53 pm

      5 stars
      WOW! I made this last night and we inhaled it all. Delicious! Spraying the water on the cheese really made a difference. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Melanie McDonald says

        May 31, 2022 at 2:16 pm

        I'm so pleased you enjoyed it Shellie! The water trick works on burgers/grilled cheese etc too if you cover the pan with a lid or old baking tray to trap the steam for a few minutes.😉

        Reply
    9. Laurie says

      May 27, 2022 at 9:36 am

      how important is the melted cheese??? I have yet to find a vegan cheese that I like. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Melanie McDonald says

        May 27, 2022 at 10:49 am

        The cheese is a big part of this recipe. Flavour, appearance and texture-wise. It also helps seal the orzo in and complete its cooking in the last few minutes. You could leave it off though, just keep the orzo covered tightly with a lid/foil and cook until it's just tender with a little bite. Grab a bit with a fork to check. It might take a minute or two longer because it won't have the moisture/seal of the cheese.

        Reply
      • Lorri says

        January 08, 2023 at 12:33 pm

        Violife melts really well!

        Reply

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    I'm Melanie McDonald (but you can call me Mel), best-selling cookbook author and creator of A Virtual Vegan. I share well-tested, flavour-packed vegan recipes with clear, step-by-step instructions. My goal is to give you the confidence to cook amazing vegan food from scratch.

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