Riri's RecipesThis high-protein tempeh orzo is the easiest and perfect one pan recipe to make for a weeknight meal. It’s high in protein, packed with veggies, and makes great leftovers for lunch the next day. This orzo is filled with flavour thanks to the broth you cook it in, and has so much texture from the onions, zucchini, and tempeh. The whole family will love this recipe!
Ingredients you’ll need to make this high protein tempeh orzo
- Noble Bean Tempeh. This is my favourite tempeh to use for this recipe. It’s organic and made with Canadian-grown soybeans. It’s also fresh-frozen, and preserves gut-friendly fermentation and ensures better taste and texture! They have so many different flavours, so it’s a great source of protein to add to this dish.
- Onion. I prefer using a red onion for this recipe since it’s sweeter, and it adds a nice colour to this dish!
- Garlic. You can dice it yourself or mince it.
- Zucchini. Two small or medium-sized zucchini are perfect for this recipe. I like dicing them for this recipe, but you can just half them lengthwise and cut into slices.
- Orzo. The star of our show! You can use any brand of orzo here.
- Vegetable Broth. You can use store-bought broth or homemade.
- Spices. I added salt, pepper, dried oregano, dried parsley, and adobo seasoning.
- Vegan Heavy Cream. This is optional, but I like the extra creaminess it adds to the orzo.
- Fresh Parsley. I added this to garnish, you can even add a bit of fresh lemon juice!
Tips on making the best one-pan high protein orzo
- Cook the tempeh first. Cook your tempeh in a large pan for about 10 minutes. Once it has a light brown colour, remove it from the pan and cook your veggies in the same pan. This helps to add extra flavour and seasoning from the tempeh.
- Sauté veggies until almost fully cooked. You want to make sure the garlic is fragrant, the onions are not fully translucent/cooked yet, and the zucchini are not fully soft. This is because they will continue to cook once you add the orzo and broth.
- Add more broth as needed. I listed the amount of veggie broth I added to cook the orzo, but always taste test to make sure the orzo has fully cooked through to your liking!
How to store this high protein tempeh orzo
Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to one week.
Craving more?
- Looking to meal prep more recipes for the week? My Vegan Potato Salad are the perfect and easy side dish to eat all week. The only cooking required is boiling the potatoes!
- Another easy, go-to quick dinner recipe is my Vegan Garlic Bread Pasta. It’s so simple to make and full of flavour!
- You can also meal prep breakfast, so why not add these Vegan Lemon Blueberry Pancakes to your list! They store in the fridge for one week and are the perfect, fresh start to your day.
High Protein Tempeh Orzo
This high-protein tempeh orzo is the easiest and perfect one pan recipe to make for a weeknight meal. It's high in protein, packed with veggies, and makes great leftovers for lunch the next day. This orzo is filled with flavour thanks to the broth you cook it in, and has so much texture from the onions, zucchini, and tempeh.
Ingredients
For the Tempeh
- 1 package Noble Bean Original Soy Tempeh, cubed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp adobo seasoning
For the Vegetables and Orzo
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 small red onion diced
- 2 small zucchinis diced
- 1 cup orzo
- 2 1/2 cups broth plus an extra 1/3 cup
- 1 tbsp vegan heavy cream
- 1 bunch fresh parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Heat up a large pan with neutral-flavoured oil on medium heat, then toss in cubed tempeh
- Add all your spices and let cook for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown and edges are crispy.
- Remove from pan and set aside.
- To the same pan, add a little more oil and toss in garlic, red onion and zucchini. Let everything cook down for about 10 minutes, or until slightly cooked. Zucchini and red onion should be a little soft, but not mushy.
- Add in orzo and 2 1/2 cups of broth. Close the lid of your pan and let the orzo absorb the broth and begin to cook for about 5-10 minutes. Once orzo has absorbed most of the broth, add another 1/3 cup and close the lid once more. If the orzo is still not cooked, add another 1/4 cup of broth.
- Once cooked, turn off the heat and add a splash of heavy cream. Toss in the tempeh and garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
How to store: place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to one week.
**Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Noble Bean. As always, all opinions are my own.**