Lentils are a mighty source of plant-protein and a game changer in vegan cooking. Here are 25 versatile & nutritious lentil recipes that I know you'll love!
Early in the pandemic last spring, I polled readers on Instagram stories about what type of recipes they'd most like to see on the blog. I wanted to know what would be practical and comforting, the two qualities that seemed to matter most to everyone.
I wasn't surprised that there was interest in shelf-stable foods. Beans and grains were getting lots of attention, thanks to their practicality for shelter-in-place living. Still, I was shocked at how many people wanted lentil recipes! Lentils were all the rage.
Looking back, I guess I shouldn't have been so surprised. Lentils have all of the shelf-stable convenience and good nutrition of beans. But they're quicker cooking than beans are, and they don't require any overnight soaking. They're inexpensive, nourishing, and easy to cook with.
One year later, the end of quarantine is on the horizon. But I cherished lentils before the pandemic, and I love them every bit as much now. They're one of my favorite ways to nutrition to my plant-based recipes.
Lentil nutritionLentils are an excellent source of so many essential nutrients. This includes B vitamins, zinc, iron, potassium, and magnesium.
Half a cup of lentils contains about eight grams of fiber, which is beneficial for digestive health and can also help to support cardiac health.
Best of all, lentils are packed with plant protein. Protein adequacy within a vegan diet is one of the pillars of my practice as a registered dietitian, and it's also the focus of Power Plates. I've seen time and time again how essential adequate protein is to longterm success with veganism, and I'm always looking to give my clients new recipe and meal ideas that maximize plant protein.
That same half cup serving of cooked lentils provides about ten grams of protein. That's an excellent amount from one single ingredient within a meal. In many of the recipes I share below, lentils are joined by other protein-rich ingredients for even more nutrient density.
25 versatile & nutritious lentil recipesI cook with lentils so often, and have made so many recipes with them, that it's hard to pick even twenty-five of my favorites! But here they are, including a lentil walnut pate that's one of my favorite, go-to snacks.
French Lentil Niçoise Salad This French lentil Niçoise salad is a delightful vegan spin on the classic recipe! Marinated French lentils serve as a protein source in place of eggs or tuna. The salad is bursting with flavor and texture, and it's perfect for sharing. Get the recipeAnd finally, my lentil walnut pate!
I can't tell you how many times I've made this versatile dip/spread. It was a meal prep staple for me in grad school, because I could use it in so many ways: on sandwiches or wraps, as a snack, on toast for breakfast in the morning, and so on.
I've served the pate to many, many friends over the years as well. It's a great hors d'oeuvre, and it's really good on vegan crostini.
Brown food really is the tastiest—and so often the most nutritious, too. Enjoy these many lentil-filled recipes, friends!
xo
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This French lentil Niçoise salad is a delightful vegan spin on the classic recipe! Marinated French lentils serve as a protein source in place of eggs or tuna. The salad is bursting with flavor and texture, and it's perfect for sharing.
It's finally starting to feel like spring in New York City. We're having cold days here and there, of course: it was 27 degrees Fahrenheit when I woke up on Friday. But for the most part, temperatures are becoming more mild. Flowers are starting to spring up in the park, and it stays light outside until dinnertime.
With the shift in seasons comes a renewed interest in colorful, plant-based salads. This French lentil Niçoise salad has been a favorite since I made it a couple weeks ago! I love the fact that it uses some of my favorite springtime produce—new potatoes, green beans, tender lettuce—and that it's full of different textures.
In place of the traditional salade Niçoise proteins, I use marinated French lentils. I love the way they work in the recipe.
What is Niçoise salad?Salade Niçoise originated in Nice, France. It's typically composed of cooked green beans, fingerling or new potatoes, tomatoes or roasted peppers, and egg. Sometimes it also includes anchovies or tuna.
I've most often seen salade Niçoise served as a composed salad, which is to say that it's arranged on a platter. But it's also fine to toss it together in one large portion or in serving bowls. You can serve this lentil Niçoise salad either way.
It's not hard to veganize Niçoise salad, since the traditional recipe contains so many vegetables as it is! The main challenge is to replace the central protein sources: eggs and/or fish.
To do this, I used French lentils, which are also known as "Puy lentils" or Le Puy green lentils.
I love French lentils. They're a little smaller than regular green lentils. More importantly, they hold their shape better than green or brown lentils in cooking. They're tender, but not mushy.
I use French lentils in my simple French lentil soup, and I often use them in my braised lentils on toast. They're probably the lentils I most often throw into salads (including, appropriately, the Niçoise bowls in Power Plates).
Do I need to use French lentils in the recipe?No, French lentils aren't necessary for the lentil Niçoise to work. The salad would also be great with beluga lentils and pardina lentils. Regular green or brown lentils are also fine.
Be sure to taste a few of the lentils after you've boiled them for about 20 minutes. This will help you to keep track of whether or not the lentils are becoming at all mushy. French lentils usually cook in 25-30 minutes, in my experience, but regular green lentils take closer to 20-25. It all depends on the age of the lentils and the specific lentils you're using.
I used new potatoes in my salad, but you can use fingerlings or red potatoes, too. Regular Yukon gold potatoes will also work well! Just be sure to quarter them before roasting.
Speaking of, I like to roast the potatoes for this salad, rather than boiling them. It helps to give them more flavor, and I like their crispy texture.
Green beansYou can use regular green beans or haricots vert—thinner, more quick cooking green beans—in the recipe. Frozen beans are fine, if you don't have fresh.
TomatoesIt's definitely not tomato season, but I love tomatoes in Niçoise salad, and I recently got some greenhouse grape tomatoes that were sweet and vibrant tasting even in March. Grape, cherry, and plum tomatoes are all excellent in the salad.
If you don't have tomatoes, then roasted red bell peppers are a good substitute. Many traditional Niçoise salad recipes call for red peppers as it is.
OlivesOlives give the lentil Niçoise salad a nice, salty kick. If you don't like olives, you can omit them. I always use black olives (Nyon or kalamata) in the recipe.
Butter lettuceI love the way that tender, butter lettuce works in this springtime salad. But mesclun, arugula, baby spinach, and any other baby greens are fine as a substitute.
VinaigretteThe vinaigrette that I use to dress the lentil Niçoise salad is a mixture of champagne vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Simple! White wine vinegar is fine in place of the champagne vinegar. So is freshly squeezed lemon juice or red wine vinegar. Use what you have.
Serving French lentil Niçoise saladI think this salad is hearty enough to qualify as a meal-sized salad: something that you can enjoy all on its own. But serving it with some toast or sliced baguette certainly isn't a bad idea.
You could also make the lentil Niçoise even heartier by adding a cooked whole grain to the recipe. I'd love to try it with farro, bulgur wheat, or cooked quinoa.
Prepping & storingOne of the nice things about the lentil Niçoise salad is that it's easy to make ahead. When I made it recently, I roasted the potatoes and cooked and marinated the French lentils in advance. I also whisked up the vinaigrette ahead of time.
All of these components can be stored for a few days in airtight containers in the fridge. By the time you're ready to assemble the salad, doing so is really just a matter of chopping your fresh vegetables and then adding the batch-cooked components.
This is a pretty sturdy salad, and I think that the leftovers keep well even after all of the ingredients have been mixed up. I stored mine for a full three days in the fridge. They made my work-from-home lunches easy.
I love winter food more than anything, in all of its cozy glory. But as April gets underway, it does feel nice to see bright colors and lots of green on my plate. This lentil Niçoise feels like a harbinger of spring and new beginnings, and I'm so happy to have made it when I did.
Hope you'll enjoy it, too!
xo
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These vegan carrot cake cupcakes have all of the goodness of traditional carrot cake, in an adorable, single-serve package! They're the perfect treat for springtime, and they're also great for birthdays and other celebrations.
With Easter Sunday rolling around this weekend, I thought it might be a good time for vegan carrot cake.
There's no shortage of carrot cake on this blog. I have a pumpkin carrot cake, which I love to make in the fall. And then there's my favorite vegan carrot cake, which is a traditional version that has some special touches (I like to grate my carrots on a microplane for a lighter cake).
Much as I adore carrot cake—it's probably my favorite type of cake, if I had to choose—making and frosting a layer cake can feel like a lot of work.
That's where these vegan carrot cake cupcakes come in! All of the goodness of carrot cake, but with a little less fuss over decoration. They're adorable, delicious, and perfect for springtime celebrations or birthdays.
The formula for a perfect vegan carrot cake (& carrot cake cupcakes)My obsession with carrot cake has encouraged me to discover methods for getting it just right—without dairy or eggs. Here are some of the tips I've accumulated through many carrot cake bakes:
Grate your carrots finelyThere's certainly something to be said for a very dense carrot cake. But Coral Lee's tip to grate the carrots for carrot cake on a microplane (or the fine side of a box grater) has been a complete game changer for me. The result is a carrot cake that is, in Coral's words, spared "the salad-y texture."
Since reading Coral's recipe and adapting it for my own favorite carrot cake, I've fallen in love with fine grating tip. I always grate my carrots on the smaller side of my box grater now. You could also use a microplane zester.
If you don't have the patience for the fine grating, that's OK. There's nothing wrong with bigger pieces of carrot in carrot cake! But the finely grated carrot is really worth a try. It makes carrot cake—and these vegan carrot cake cupcakes—moist and rich, but with just enough fluffy, cake-like texture.
Don't go overboard with mix-insAnother tip that Coral Lee gives in her article, which I've now taken to heart, is not to overload carrot cake with nuts and dried fruit. I like my carrot cake to have raisins and walnuts. However, I think less is more when it comes to the amount. Too many mix-ins, and the cake texture gets lost.
For these carrot cake cupcakes, I skip the raisins and use only 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts. I think this amount is just right! Feel free to use chopped pecans in place of walnut, or you can skip the nuts altogether.
Use a mix of brown and cane sugarBrown sugar adds moisture to baked goods. I think it's perfect for carrot cake, but I like to use some cane sugar, too. The cane sugar helps to (once again) preserve the cake's lightness, while the brown sugar gives it a lovely, moist interior.
I'm often asked about reducing sugar in my recipes. Reducing is OK in a small amount (about 1/4 cup), but sugar adds moisture to baking. So if you omit a significant portion, be aware that your cake might be dry, dense, or both.
Keep it traditionalCarrot cake is pretty glorious as it is. So, no need to change it too much. I keep things traditional with a vegan cream cheese frosting and cake ingredients. There's nothing like a classic.
Can the carrot cake cupcakes be gluten free?Most definitely. I've made both my favorite carrot cake and these cupcakes with gluten-free, all-purpose flour (King Arthur's is my go-to), and they turn out beautifully. You can definitely modify the recipe with your own favorite AP, GF flour blend.
The cream cheese frosting that adorns the carrot cake cupcakes is my favorite dairy-free frosting ever. I like it even more than traditional buttercream frosting. The cream cheese gives it just the right amount of tanginess to offset all of the sweet richness of butter and sugar.
I've tried this frosting with a few different vegan butter sticks and cream cheeses. My default is Earth Balance sticks and Tofutti cream cheese. They work well, and they're relatively affordable. (I like to use Tofutti in baking—like my classic vegan cheesecake—and save fancier, more expensive vegan cream cheese for toast or bagels.)
That said, I've also used Miyoko's butter, Kite Hill Cream cheese, and a host of other butter/cream cheese combos in the carrot cake cupcake frosting. I haven't had any big flops yet. Use the butter and cream cheese options that you like and have access to.
Whenever I make either cupcakes or cake, I tend to work over the course of two days. I make the cake portion on the first day, give it the night to cool, and make the frosting/decorate on the second day.
You certainly don't have to devote two days to these cupcakes if you'd rather work all at once. Just be sure to let the carrot cake cupcakes cool completely before you frost them. It'll take at least two hours.
The cream cheese frosting can be prepared a day in advance of decorating. However, it needs cold storage and will stiffen up as it cools in the fridge. So, if you make the frosting in advance, be sure to warm it to room temperature and then rewhip it a bit to help make it fluffy again.
The decorated cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. If you'd like to store them longer, I'd recommend freezing them—cake, frosting, and all!
Vegan cupcakes for the winIf this recipe has you craving vegan cupcakes, here are some more recipes to explore:
Though it was always a favorite, carrot cake has taken on a new meaning for me during the pandemic. I made it in Instagram stories during the first spring of lockdown, hoping it would comfort others as much as it was comforting me.
When my mom celebrated her birthday last May, she requested carrot cake. I made it and then walked it fifteen blocks to her apartment, worrying that I'd drop it the entire time. I handed it off to her outside her building—we were still too cautious to see each other indoors at the time—and then sang her happy birthday and watched her enjoy a slice over Zoom that night.
Carrot cake was one of those recipes that gave a sense of familiarity and joy to an otherwise scary, unsettled time. I assign it a special kind of love and fondness as a result. These vegan carrot cake cupcakes are my latest favorite way to savor it. And I'll bet they're a little easier to carry and deliver to friends than a giant layer cake!
Enjoy, friends.
xo
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This is a simple, yet super flavorful vegan tofu egg salad. Perfect for sandwiches and tartines, wraps and crackers, and more! It's one of my favorite every day lunchtime staples.
I'm slowly finding that I've got the energy to make more homemade food (after a long stretch of feeling stuck with It). The key, I'm finding, is to keep everything very simple.
This tofu egg salad is the epitome of simple—no cooking, ready in about fifteen minutes—but it's really versatile, too. Make one batch, and you'll be able to use it in wraps, as a sandwich filling, with crackers for a snack, and however else your heart desires.
I love to meal prep recipes like this: humble, unassuming staples that can multitask as the week goes on. The tofu egg salad is especially welcome because my quarantine lunches have been more uninspired than any other meal. It's great to break up my sandwich routine with this fresh, protein-rich option.
Is there anything tofu can't do?
I use tofu almost as obsessively as I use cashews. In my home, it becomes scramble, hash, cream cheese, a creamy base for soup, a vegan ricotta, and even chocolate pudding.
Tofu is a great base ingredient because it doesn't have much flavor (until you season it), and it comes in a few different textures. It's easy to turn it into anything and everything. Best of all, it adds plant protein and good nutrition (healthful fatty acids, disease-fighting phytonutrients) to anything that you make with it.
The secret to an "eggy" tofu egg puddingTofu is the star of this tofu egg pudding, of course. But there's another ingredient that helps to make the egg salad "eggy," which is kala namak, or black salt. Kala namak has sulphureous compounds that give it a distinctively "eggy" flavor.
Kala namak is used in chutneys, salads, raitas, and chaats in South Asian cuisines. In vegan cooking, it's a convenient way to help create egg flavor. I love using it in my tofu scrambles and chickpea scrambles. I also like to sprinkle it on blocks of tofu, pan fry them, and use them for tofu "egg" sandwiches.
If you don't have kala namak but you're ready to make the tofu egg salad, don't worry. It's worth trying the recipe with the kala namak at some point because it does make a taste difference. But the salad is still bright and tasty and flavorful with fine sea salt as a substitute.
Extra firm tofu is what I use most often in tofu cookery. But for this recipe, firm (rather than extra firm) tofu works best. If you don't have or can't find a block of firm tofu, then extra firm will work well, too. The recipe calls for 15-ounces, which is a standard sized block.
Vegan mayoYou can use any vegan mayo that you love for creaminess and authentic flavor in the tofu egg salad. My go-to is Follow Your Heart's Vegenaise.
Black saltYou can often find kala namak in Indian grocery stores and markets. You'll also find it from spice suppliers and websites. I like to order this one for my eggy recipes.
TurmericA pinch of turmeric makes this recipe a little yellow, which evokes traditional egg salad. I don't use much turmeric here because I find that the flavor of the spice interferes a bit with the simple flavors of the egg salad.
Dijon mustardMy mom always loaded up egg salad with mustard when I was growing up, and I continue to love the taste of mustard in lunch salads like this one!
VinegarVinegar gives the salad just a little bit of tanginess and character. I like to use white vinegar, but for a more assertive taste, you can use apple cider vinegar instead.
HerbsYou can season the tofu egg salad with finely chopped dill, chives, or parsley. I like all three varieties, and I tend to use whichever herb I have and am in the mood for!
Serving and storageAs you can see, I like the egg salad best on sandwiches and toast. But it's a really nice dip, very good in a wrap, and great with crudités, as a snack. I also really, really love it on a bagel sandwich.
The tofu egg salad will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
More vegan lunch saladsIf you're keen on recipes like this one, which are so convenient for sandwiches and toast, here are some of my favorites:
This salad is so lovely for the time of year when the weather is warming up, breeze is becoming gentle, and lunches that don't require cooking and heating are starting to hit the spot. I hope it'll keep you company this spring.
xo
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These vegan baked stuffed apples are a delicious, wholesome treat! Enjoy the benefits of whole fruit with a warm, delicious streusel filling. The apples are perfect for snacking, dessert, or breakfast.
Apples are just about my favorite fruit, and I'm very lucky that they're in season pretty much year-round where I live. I love eating apples every which way: raw, as a snack, in a crisp, cubed and baked, in cake, in slaw, and even in soup.
These baked stuffed apples are going to be a new favorite for me. They're so versatile and such a good happy medium. The ratio of fruit to streusel is greater than it is with crisp or crumble. But the apples still feel like a treat, thanks to the buttery, brown sugary crumbs.
I've now eaten them happily for breakfast (with some vegan yogurt on top) and for dessert (with ice cream). They're good in either fashion, and they're great with tea for an afternoon treat.
Picking the perfect apple for baked stuffed applesBefore making the baked stuffed apples, I was lucky enough to get a delivery of New York State RubyFrost apples.
These apples are so special. They're a perfect balance of sweet and tart. They're super crisp—which is how I like apples to be—and they have the most beautiful crimson and golden color.
RubyFrost apples are especially high in vitamin C, and they have a high acid content. Both factors allow them to stay fresh for longer than other apple varieties. I've been delighted at how crispy and juicy mine remained as I made my way through the bag that I had.
The juiciness and sweet/tart flavor balance of the apples also makes them an ideal apple to bake with. These baked stuffed apples become so sweet and tender in the oven, yet they stay firm enough to hold their shape.
The trick to making baked stuffed apples is to remove the apple core. That's it! Once there's a nice empty space where the core of the apple lived, it's easy to fill them with your streusel mixture.
To remove the core of the apple, I recommend using a corer. It's not an expensive appliance, and it makes cutting up apples for snacks—or making these baked stuffed apples—really easy.
If you don't have or want a corer, there are other ways to make space for the filling. This video will show you how to core an apple with a spoon, and this one has instructions (toward the end) for coring with a melon baller.
Once the apples have been cored, you simply use a spoon to fill them up with the streusel, then bake the apples. You may have some streusel left over, which is A-OK (better too much than too little). I like to sprinkle mine on the baking sheet and bake it along with the apples.
Main ingredientsOnce your apples are cored, the baked stuffed apples are pretty easy to make. Here's a short list of the main ingredients you'll need:
ApplesThe most important ingredient! I loved making this recipe with local, New York State RubyFrosts. You can use another tart or sweet tart apple that's available to you. Choose apples that are medium in size, if you can. Too large, and they'll take a long time to bake. Too small, they'll be difficult to stuff.
Vegan butterUse the vegan butter that suits your budget and needs. I like to melt the butter before adding it to the streusel. If you don't have vegan butter, you can use vegetable oil in its place.
FlourI use all-purpose flour in the recipe, but a whole wheat flour works well here, too! If you'd like to make the recipe gluten-free, you can use a gluten free, unbleached flour in place of wheat flour.
Brown sugarI think that brown sugar is best for streusel. If you prefer, you can use coconut sugar as a good substitute.
Rolled oatsThe rolled oats in the baked, stuffed apple filling give this recipe some texture and substance. I tried making the filling with and without oats, and I really liked the heft that the oats provide. I also like the fiber they provide, which helps to make the stuffed apples more wholesome.
I recommend storing the apples in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. They're very cravable, so it's not hard to eat them all in that period of time!
Accompaniments and serving ideasI think that the baked stuffed apples are pretty perfect on their own. But there are a few fun ways you can add to their goodness!
Be sure to serve each apple with a little of the extra baked filling, if you had any leftover on your baking sheet!
It'll soon be the right time of year for snacking on juicy, raw fruits. And I love eating RubyFrost apples this way.
But cozy, sweet, juicy baked apples hit the spot, especially at breakfast time and after dinner. These baked stuffed apples are a pleasure, something I'll make often and add to my list of favorite fruit desserts. I hope you'll have fun making and eating them, too!
xo
This post is sponsored by RubyFrost apples. All opinions are my own. Thanks for your support!
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This creamy mushroom spinach orzo is a fast, one-pot recipe for busy nights! It's plant-based and features cashew cream in place of dairy. Spinach and mushrooms add texture and nutrition to the recipe.
I made this creamy mushroom spinach orzo a couple of weekends ago, and I fell in love with the recipe right away. It was a welcome reprieve from my cooking slump!
The recipe is greatly inspired by Sheela Prakash's one-pot mushroom and spinach orzo for The Kitchn. Prakash is an awesome recipe developer with a knack for Mediterranean flavors. She's also got a talent for one-pot meals.
One-pot recipes are what I need and crave often these days. This orzo fits the bill. You sauté mushrooms until they're tender and reduced in size, stir in orzo and liquid, and allow everything to cook. You'll need to stir the orzo a couple of times: think of the mixture as being like a risotto (orzotto?).
Once the orzo has cooked through, it's a creamy, satisfying dish that can be either a side or a main. To make it a more filling main, you can pair stir in some some chickpeas or white white beans. As a side dish, it's lovely with baked tofu or balsamic tempeh.
No matter what, I can vouch for a generous sprinkle of cashew parmesan on top.
Prakash's orzo recipe calls for milk as a simmering liquid. What makes this vegan mushroom spinach orzo creamy is the use of cashew cream.
I know that I probably overuse cashew cream in my recipes, but I just can't help it. Nothing creates more luxurious texture or is as mildly flavored as cashew cream. Non-dairy milks are great, but they're not always creamy enough for pasta or soup. Coconut milk is very creamy, but it's a flavor that I only like in small doses. And from a nutrition standpoint, I like that cashew cream has less saturated fat than coconut milk or cream.
You can make cashew cream with either a food processor or a powerful blender.
Can I substitute cashew cream?If you don't have cashew cream, or if you have a nut allergy, I recommend a vegan creamer for this recipe. There are a lot of creamer options available these days, made from different bases. Choose one that's unsweetened, so that the savoriness of the mushroom spinach orzo will shine through.
You can also use an equivalent amount of full-fat coconut milk or silken tofu "cream" (just silken tofu that's been blended or processed till creamy).
Mushroom spinach orzo ingredients OrzoOrzo is the star of this recipe, of course. You can use whatever orzo is accessible and appropriate for you. If you avoid gluten, there are gluten-free orzo options available.
One thing to keep in mind is that orzo can vary in size and thickness. I like a traditional kritharaki that I buy locally. You can also find a spelt kritharaki online. These versions are a little smaller in shape than some of the Italian orzo I've used in the past, so they cook more quickly.
So as you simmer the orzo for this recipe, keep in mind that cooking times might vary. Keep tasting the orzo once you think it's ready for the appropriate doneness. You're aiming for al dente, but tender.
MushroomsI generally use sliced white or button mushrooms in my cooking, though I also love shiitakes. You can use white mushrooms, shiitakes, chopped portobello mushroom caps, or baby bella mushrooms in the recipe.
Shallot & garlicI love the way shallots taste, especially in pasta. I chop up and use two for the mushroom spinach orzo. A small, diced onion would be a perfectly good substitute!
For garlic, feel free to substitute garlic powder if you've run out of heads of garlic. And, as with most of my recipes, you can feel free to add more garlic if you like (I tend to be conservative with it).
SpinachI usually stock up on baby spinach in my grocery hauls, so that I can use it in both salad and hot recipes. But regular, chopped spinach will also work well.
In place of spinach, feel free to use another leafy green that you have. Chard and kale would both work really nicely in the recipe. So would broccoli rabe, which is one of my favorite dark, leafy greens.
Vegan brothI keep both vegetable broth and vegan no-chicken broth in my pantry. I prefer the no-chicken broth for this recipe. Lately, I've been substituting Yondu for broth, especially when I run out of the latter. I love its umami-rich flavor, and it would be a good substitute for the broth in this creamy recipe.
Cashew creamThe creaminess of the creamy mushroom spinach orzo! All-purpose cashew cream is my go-to.
As I mentioned above, chickpeas and white beans would be good means of adding plant-protein to the mushroom spinach orzo. Diced, smoked tofu would also be nice, and so would a big scoop of cooked lentils.
I'd love to try this recipe with chopped, sun-dried tomatoes, crumbled cashew cheese, tofu feta, and pitted olives. It would also be fun to stir in additional veggies, like green beans or zucchini.
Storing leftover mushroom spinach orzoThe leftovers of the mushroom spinach orzo keep very nicely, but they tend to get a little gluey as they sit in the fridge. To loosen the orzo up before serving, simply place your portion in a pot, add a splash of broth (and a little extra cashew cream, if you like) and stir over low heat until the orzo is warm.
You can also freeze leftovers of the orzo for up to four weeks.
More one-pot creamy dinnersAfter I made this recipe, and as I was enjoying the leftovers, it occurred to me that I have a weakness for creamy, one-pot meals. Here's a handful of favorites:
It's no secret by now that I'm getting my bearings with cooking, after months of feeling at odds with it. I have no idea how long that process will take.
What I do know is that I made this orzo without thinking too much about it—I'd seen the recipe on The Kitchn at some point in the last few weeks and made a mental note to try something similar, veganized—and it surprised me with how simple and delicious it was. My mom was happily surprised by it, too.
Maybe it's a sign of more easeful meals to come. I hope so, but I'll be gentle with myself if not. And I'll keep making orzo 🙂
xo
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