Orzo is one of my favorite ingredients to keep on hand for quick salads, soups, and sides, and it deserves way more love and attention. These flavor-packed vegan orzo recipes will prove just how versatile this ingredient is and give you plenty of ways to incorporate it into your diet. You'll never see this simple ingredient the same way again, so start stocking up. You'll need it!
Whenever I'm in a rush or need something delicious quickly, I reach for the orzo (and usually a couple of cans of beans). It is so fast to make, and is the perfect vehicle for truly any seasonings and sauces.
If cooking from scratch feels like a stretch for your busy schedule, I promise, you'll be glad to have a few boxes of orzo in the pantry waiting for you.
What is orzo?
Although it looks like rice, orzo is actually a type of pasta typically made from durum wheat.
It cooks very quickly and ends up being slightly larger than a grain of rice, which gives it a lovely texture and mild flavor. It doesn't require much chewing since it is so small and delicate, yet it still has enough texture to make every bite interesting.
The best thing, however, is that orzo can be used in many dishes either as a rice substitute or in addition to it, like the fluffy rice pilaf listed below.
Personally, I'm partial to using it in soups or pasta salad, since it soaks up pasta sauces and dressings like nothing else.
Chef's Note: Since orzo is a rice-shaped pasta, my gluten-free friends will need to purchase gluten-free orzo.
Things I love about orzo pasta:
Cooks quickly.
Thanks to its tiny size, orzo cooks in just 8-10 minutes. It feels miraculous on busy nights when everyone is starving for dinner.
Nice texture.
Similar to rice, orzo has a tender texture with a little bite and that classic pasta flavor.
Versatile ingredient.
Orzo is like a blank slate, soaking up the seasonings and sauces of whatever ingredients it is in. It also knows no bounds and is just as great in soups and stews as it is in pastas, salads, pilafs, and more.
Doesn’t blow up in soup.
Have you ever made a pot of noodle soup and notice that the noodles bloat to twice their size in the fridge? Orzo is less prone to this issue, so it's a fantastic choice if you're cooking for leftovers.
Great for meal prep dressed salads.
Since orzo is pasta, it can handle sitting in dressing better than other grains. As it sits, it will wick up the flavor from the dressings and taste even better the next day.
Affordable.
Orzo in available in pretty much all grocery stores, and usually only costs $1-2 per box. It's a great addition to any plant-based diet, especially on a tight budget.
My Favorite Vegan Orzo Recipes
This rice-shaped pasta may be more of a background character in some of these recipes, but if it wasn't there, something would surely be missing. It lets the cherry tomatoes, winter squash, or olives stand out, but it's the orzo that makes the dish feel satisfying and hearty.
Plus, there's something about the soft, tender texture and small size that is genuinely fun to eat. Whether you're serving it hot or cold, orzo really makes any recipe extra comforting.
Vegan Orzo and Kale Stew
Loaded with winter squash, kale, beans, and more, this vegan orzo recipe is the perfect winter soup to cozy up to after a long day. Even better, it only requires 30 minutes and is hearty, not brothy, so you'll end up feeling full after a bowl or two.
Winter Orzo Pasta Salad
This fan-favorite vegan orzo salad went viral, and for good reason. 1) It's super simple, 2) loaded with leafy greens, veggies, beans, and healthy fats, and 3) speckled with tender orzo, all coated with a creamy vinaigrette.
Colder temperatures don't mean that pasta salads are off the menu, and this is recipe is a meal prep queen.
Black Lentil and Orzo Stew
Need more proof of orzo's versatility? This stew is a total departure from the pasta salad before. Instead of tangy, bright flavors, it's earthy and hearty with lentils, red bell peppers, and smoky spices. The cooked orzo soaks up all that flavor, too. Garnish with fresh parsley and dill and enjoy!
Pro Tip: Sneak greens into everything. Frozen spinach (or baby spinach) will wilt almost instantly and acts like a sponge, absorbing all that broth. This is an easy way to serve more greens to your crew, especially those picky kiddos.
Greek Inspired Orzo Salad
Orzo pairs perfectly with Mediterranean flavors in this summery pasta salad. It looks and feels more like a grain salad with a generous portion of orzo topped with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives, chickpeas and more all under a simple vinaigrette.
Best of all, it's ready in just 20 minutes, so it's quick enough to throw together for an easy dinner any night of the week, yet flavorful enough to make for dinner parties and BBQs.
White Bean and Orzo Salad
This colorful white bean and tomato orzo salad is the perfect side dish for a special meal, loaded with lots of roasted veggies, white beans, and a roasted tomato and pepper dressing that brings it to life. It's the perfect balance of light and refreshing flavors yet it's also genuinely filling and hearty.
Vegan Lemon Orzo Soup
When you want flavor but don't want to spend all day over the stove, this lemon orzo soup is the absolute best choice. It uses simple ingredients, like cannellini beans, dry orzo, carrots, frozen peas, butternut squash, and lots of fresh lemon juice. Add a dash of turmeric for a bright, golden color and flavor that feels like summer sunshine during the cooler months of the year.
Even better, it all comes together in a single pot, so the clean-up is a breeze, too. Serve it with some vegan feta or parmesan cheese for a simple, timeless meal ready in less than 30 minutes.
Summer Harvest Orzo Salad
Literally nothing feels more like midsummer than this simple vegan salad recipe infused with fresh peaches, peppers, kale, zucchini, tomatoes, kale, and all your favorite summer flavors.
It's the slight sweetness and tanginess of the peaches that brings it all together for me. We'll gladly eat a mountain of this salad all summer long.
Lemon Tahini Orzo Salad
With eggplant, lots of veggies, olives, kale, and crispy chickpeas, this lemony orzo pasta dish screams flavor. Perhaps best of all is the lemon tahini dressing, made with lemon juice, tahini, and a little olive oil.
It's so simple to make yet offers incredible flavor. Keep this recipe in your back pocket whenever the mountain of summer produce starts to get out of control.
Orzo Primavera Pasta Salad
If you love fresh herbs and vegetables, save this recipe for later.
The orzo, olives, and veggies are all coated with an oil-free vegan pesto packed with all the freshest herbs of summer (fresh basil, mint, dill, and more), brazil nuts, and nutritional yeast. It makes you feel like you're munching through a garden in the best way possible and is always a hit at any picnic or party.
Summer Orzo Salad
Every bite of this simple salad makes me feel like I'm outside eating under the summer sun. The al dente orzo offers that rice-like texture but with the flavor of pasta, and it's studded with walnuts and summer's freshest produce, like tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes, broccoli, and red onion, under a simple vinaigrette.
It's slightly sweet, loaded with texture, and tastes even better the next day.
Best Vegan Rice Pilaf
The best rice pilaf doesn't contain just rice. This orzo rice pilaf soaks up the aromatic vegetable broth infused with minced garlic, celery, and onion while offering a tender, fluffy texture to serve alongside any main meal. It's such a simple recipe, but seriously delicious.
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