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Here’s a delicious spring recipe: Lemony Orzo with Spring Vegetables, packed with all the delicious green spring vegetables you love like asparagus, leeks, peas, and spinach. Everything is tossed with olive oil, lemon, and garlic, along with lots of fresh spring herbs like dill and chives. I love adding feta cheese to it as well, but you can leave it out if it’s not your thing. You’ll love this easy, one-pot, plant-based, incredibly nutritious and flavorful, risotto-like recipe!
The thing that makes this recipe extra delicious and special: the dressing/sauce is added AFTER cooking everything. It’s made from a simple blend of extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and fresh minced garlic. All three of these ingredients change in taste when they are cooked. Adding these ingredients to the orzo off-heat ensures that their taste stays pure – the olive oil stays fruity and peppery, the lemon nice and bright, and the garlic, warmed just slightly from the warmth of the pasta, infuses into every bite.
To serve, I like to drizzle with even more olive oil (I’ve been loving Brightland olive oil lately – it’s not cheap, but great for a little drizzle of something special!), and top with some crumbled feta and extra herbs.
And if you like, you can serve this orzo cold as more of a pasta salad (I’ll get to that later in the post!).
Let’s get going with this lovely and healthy lemony, spring vegetable orzo!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Orzo – another small pasta such as Israeli couscous or acini de pepe may be used. If you like, you can use rice as a gluten-free option. Just keep in mind, rice may have different liquid and cooking time requirements, so be sure to cross-reference with the cooking instructions on the package!
Leeks – quartered and sliced onion, or green onions, may be used as an alternative.
Asparagus
Peas – frozen or fresh are both fine.
Baby spinach – or another delicate, fast cooking green like baby arugula or baby kale. If using mature spinach, be sure it’s cleaned well and chopped up first. It may take a bit more time to wilt down.
Fresh dill and chives – or one or the other, and/or other delicate herbs like parsley, cilantro, mint, and/or basil.
Lemon juice and zest
Garlic
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Feta cheese – this is optional, feel free to omit for a vegan version or if feta isn’t your thing. You can also do shaved or grated parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese, or crumbled queso fresco or cotija or chevre goat cheese, or any other similar cheese to feta.
How to make Lemony Orzo with Spring Vegetables
First, sauté the leeks in olive oil until they are softened but not browned (see more on how to wash leeks below). Then, add the dry orzo to the pot and toss to coat in the olive oil. If you like, you can keep cooking for a little while to toast the orzo, which will give it a bit of a nutty flavor.
Sauté leeks in olive oil.
Add dry orzo and stir to coat.
Then, add water and cook orzo, covered, until it’s ALMOST done. At this point, add the asparagus and peas. Cover again, and continue cooking until veggies are warmed, slightly softened, and bright green.
Add water to orzo and leeks, cover, and cook until almost done.
Stir in peas and asparagus when orzo is ALMOST cooked, cover and continue.
Then, turn off the heat and stir in the baby spinach, cover, and allow the spinach to wilt from the residual heat.
Turn off heat and stir spinach in so it wilts.
After all veggies, orzo, and spinach are fully cooked.
Now, add the dressing (a mix of olive oil, lemon juice and zest, fresh grated garlic, and salt) and fresh herbs. Finally, you’ll add the feta cheese if you’re using it. You can do this right in the pot, or you can transfer it to a serving bowl to do this part, as I did in the photos (this can make stirring it around a bit easier).
Add lemon garlic olive oil dressing and herbs.
Add feta cheese, if using.
Now, your lemony orzo with spring veggies is all ready to serve! I love topping it with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and some extra crumbled feta cheese and herbs on each serving plate.
How to clean and prep leeks
Leeks are absolutely delicious, with a subtle onion flavor, but are notoriously dirty/gritty between layers. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to clean them!
To clean leeks well, halve and slice them first. Place the cut pieces you’re going to cook with in a large bowl or container and cover with water. Stir them around a bit with your hands, vigorously, to dislodge any dirt or sand on them. The dirt and grit will sink to the bottom of the bowl. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the leeks into a colander, then rinse under cold water. All the dirt stays in the bottom of the bowl, leaving you with perfectly clean leeks!
How to make a cold version of orzo with spring veggies
If you want to make a cold version of this orzo, as a cold pasta orzo salad, I recommend cooking the orzo separately in boiling water, draining, and running cold water over it to cool it off. Otherwise, the heat from the orzo will cause it to keep cooking a bit and the texture will turn more mushy – fine for reheating, but less ideal for a cold orzo salad.
For the veggies, I recommend adding the asparagus and peas directly to the leeks in the skillet. Then, you can wilt the spinach in after the asparagus has turned a nice bright green and softened a bit. Try to let the veggies cool off as much as possible before adding them to the orzo with the herbs and dressing.
Alternatively, you can add just the spinach to the leeks, and add the cut asparagus and peas directly to the orzo in the last couple minutes of cooking, then rinse all of those under cold water with the orzo.
If making ahead of time, you may also want to reserve half the dressing (or make a little extra) for stirring into the orzo pasta salad just before serving, as the orzo will absorb the dressing and end up drying out a bit over time.
Other spring vegetable recipes
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Lemony Orzo with Spring Vegetables, Garlic, and Herbs
This Lemony Orzo is packed with fresh spring vegetables – asparagus, peas, leeks, and spinach – and tossed with fresh dill and chives and a simple lemon, garlic, and extra-virgin olive oil dressing. Adding feta cheese is optional. You’ll love this easy, healthy, plant-based and veggie-packed one pot recipe!
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Course: PastaCuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutesCook Time: 15 minutes minutesTotal Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 412kcal
Author: Elizabeth Lindemann
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Ingredients2 leeks white and light green parts only, halved and sliced, washed well (see notes)2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil1 cup orzo½ teaspoon kosher salt1 lb. asparagus spears trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces1 cup frozen peas or fresh1 cup packed baby spinach¼ cup chopped fresh dill2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives½ cup crumbled feta cheese optional, plus more for sprinkling on topLemon Garlic Olive Oil Dressing¼ cup extra-virgin olive oiljuice and zest of one lemon about 2 tablespoons juice and 1 teaspoon zest1 clove garlic grated on a microplane zester½ teaspoon kosher salt
InstructionsIn a large pot or deep skillet with a cover, sauté the 2 leeks (halved, sliced, and washed) in the 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat, until leeks have softened but haven’t browned (about 3-5 minutes). Add the 1 cup orzo and stir to coat in the leek and olive oil mixture. Add 2 cups water and the ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low for 8 minutes, until orzo is almost cooked.Add the 1 lb. asparagus spears and 1 cup frozen peas. Stir together. Cook, covered on low, for 2 more minutes. Then, turn off heat and keep covered for 5-10 more minutes- the vegetables will finish cooking from the residual heat of the orzo – until asparagus is bright green.Meanwhile, mix the dressing. In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, juice and zest of one lemon, 1 clove garlic (grated on a microplane zester), and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.Turn off heat. Stir in the 1 cup packed baby spinach to the orzo in the pot and cover for a minute or so, until wilted from the residual heat. Stir in the ¼ cup chopped fresh dill and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, as well as the dressing (you can do this directly in the pot on the stove or transfer everything to a serving bowl). At this point, you can also stir in the ½ cup crumbled feta cheese, if using. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.Serve, topped with extra crumbled feta, chopped herbs, and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.
Notes
To wash the leeks, cut them in half lengthwise and slice, then add the cut pieces to a large bowl. Cover with water, then stir vigorously to dislodge any dirt. The dirt will sink to the bottom of the bowl. Use a slotted spoon to remove the leeks to a colander, then rinse with cold water. Then, you can use the leeks.
If you want to make a cold version of this orzo, as a cold pasta orzo salad, I recommend cooking the orzo separately in boiling water, draining, and running cold water over it to cool it off. Otherwise, the heat from the orzo will cause it to keep cooking a bit and the texture will turn more mushy – fine for reheating, but less ideal for a cold orzo salad. For the veggies, just add the asparagus and peas directly to the leeks in the skillet, and wilt the spinach in after the asparagus has turned a nice bright green and softened a bit. Try to let the veggies cool off as much as possible before adding them to the orzo with the herbs and dressing. If making ahead of time, you may also want to reserve half the dressing (or make a little extra) for stirring into the orzo pasta salad just before serving, as the orzo will absorb the dressing and end up drying out a bit over time.
As an alternative to orzo, you can use another tiny pasta, such as Israeli couscous or acini de pepe. Rice is a good gluten-free alternative here – just be sure to adjust cooking time and liquid amounts for the type of rice you use.
Other herbs may be used in addition or instead of dill/chives – I recommend delicate herbs like basil, mint, cilantro (coriander), and/or parsley.
NutritionCalories: 412kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Sodium: 605mg | Potassium: 590mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2878IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutrition Information DisclaimerThe provided nutrition information is my best estimate and does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Very Well Fit Nutrition Information Calculator