Orzo with White Bean, Preserved Lemon, & Radish
This white bean orzo makes hearty one-pot supper, flavored with piquant salted lemon pickle, and crisp radish. For a more substantial meal, you can add roasted chicken, or keep it plain for a vegetarian main dish or rich and simple side dish. It comes together quickly, and you can have dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less!
Ingredients
- 2-4 tbsp olive oil or butter
- ½ large onion minced or small dice
- 3 large garlic cloves chopped
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 cups dry orzo pasta
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 tbsp chicken or vegetable base
- 1½ cups radish greens, washed and chopped (substitute arugula or other tender bitter greens)
- 1 cup cooked white beans (one can, drained)
- ¼ cup preserved Meyer lemon peel minced or chopped fine
- 1½ cups diced rotisserie or roasted chicken (optional)
- ½ cup thinly sliced or diced fresh radish
- to taste salt and pepper
Instructions
- Wash and prepare the radishes and tops or greens, and prep the onion and garlic. Mince the preserved lemon peel. Dissolve the chicken or veggie base in the stock.
- Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil or butter in the pan, and saute the chopped onion with a pinch of salt until it begins to take on some color. Add the freshly ground black pepper, coriander and garlic and saute for another minute or two.
- Add the dry orzo to the pot and toast it for a few minutes, along with the dried herbs and preserved lemon. Add the stock and base to the pot, cover, and bring up to a simmer over medium low heat.
- Add the chopped greens and white beans to the pot and fold them in, stirring periodically and recovering the pot. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the orzo is cooked through and the mixture is thick and creamy.
- If you're adding diced cooked chicken, fold that in now, and then top the pot with the diced or thinly sliced raw radishes. You can also simmer the radishes lightly with the orzo if you want a milder flavor and less crunch, though the color may bleed a bit.
- Serve warm. This is also good cold the next day, or on a bed of crisp greens as a hearty lunch salad.
Notes
To make this with uncooked chicken, add one cup of cubed raw chicken breasts or thighs to the pot after sauteing the orzo, and before adding the broth. Cut the cubes less than 2" in size and saute briefly before pouring in the broth, and they should be cooked through by the time the orzo is done. Cut one of the larger pieces open to check that it is opaque and cooked through.
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