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Last Updated on December 16, 2023
Through the years, there had been different food trends, some of them strong enough to change the eating habits of an entire generation. Mediterranean, Paleo, and low-carb are just a few examples of an incredibly long list, and they were all on-trend during the last decade!
With society’s changes, there appeared a new concern: how to eat healthy while following an eco-friendly lifestyle at the same time? This is when veganism entered the scene. Even though it may seem like a rather new practice, some early evidence can be found in Ancient Greece. However, it wasn’t until the beginning of the last century that it became popular. People started to grow an interest in it, not only because of the amazing health benefits such as reducing the risk of heart disease and diabetes but also due to veganism’s contribution to the environment.
Step up your vegan game!
A typical misconception about vegan food is that it can be bland, but that is far from the truth. Vegan cuisine can be tasty and appetizing if you follow some simple tips.
As it happens with any other type of gastronomy, it’s all about seasoning: with the right herbs and spices, you can make any dish go from boring to amazing in a few seconds!
Another important thing to consider is variety. In order to get all the nutrients plants to offer, your diet needs to be well-balanced and varied.
In addition, there are many vegan-friendly staples that you may include to make your dishes more filling and satisfying. One of those is orzo, a type of pasta that resembles rice but is actually made of semolina flour. I also think wild rice is a game changer and I love this vegan, warm raisin wild rice salad.
An essential ingredient for your vegan pantry
Either if you are on your journey to becoming a vegan or if you just want to incorporate more plant-based foods into your meals, orzo is a must-have in your pantry since it is made without using dairy or eggs. Plus, it is incredibly versatile: you can use it in cold or hot preparations and as it features a rather neutral taste, it is a great pairing for almost any vegetable.
Not convinced yet? It is really easy to make, you can either cook it as regular pasta if you prefer a more al dente texture or, if you like it softer, use a two-to-one ratio of water to pasta as if you were cooking rice. As an extra tip to enhance the taste, you can toast the grains before cooking it, this will add some toasty flavor to it.
On this occasion, we brought you a healthy vegan recipe packed with flavor: orzo with baby spinach and garlic. If you’d like to know more about orzo, you may visit https://riceselect.com/product/orzo.
Ingredients (2 servings):
- 1 cup of orzo, uncooked.
- 2 cups of vegetable stock.
- 1 small yellow onion, diced.
- 1 cup of baby spinach.
- 2 garlic cloves, minced.
- 2 tbsp of fortified nutritional yeast.
- 2 tbsp of lemon juice.
- 2 tsp of olive oil.
- Salt and pepper, to taste.
Preparation:
- Sauté the orzo with one teaspoon of olive oil and stir well until it is slightly browned. Reserve.
- In a large skillet, heat the remaining olive oil teaspoon over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until it becomes translucent. Adding some salt to this step will help the onion release moisture.
- Now it’s time to add the garlic cloves, stirring often. Next, incorporate the orzo.
- Pour the vegetable stock slowly and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and cover, stirring once in a while. Let cook for 10-13 minutes. If you notice that the liquid evaporates too soon and orzo is not ready yet, you can add some more stock.
- Turn off the heat and add the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and baby spinach. Season to taste and stir carefully. Put on the lid and let sit for 1 minute. Serve while still warm. Enjoy!
Nutritional yeast comes in many flavors but if you do not enjoy its taste you can replace it with another source of protein such as seitan, tempeh, or any other vegan substitute for meat.Even though this dish is very tasty the way it is, you can always try some toppings, vegan grated parmesan cheese or fresh chopped parsley do wonder for this recipe!
