Orzo Bowls with Fried Feta and Roasted Veggies
Loaded orzo bowls? With roasted veggies? AND FRIED FETA? Ooomph. You’re gonna want to bookmark this recipe immediately.
If you follow me on Instagram then you know that I’m in my fried feta era.
I want it on everything.
So let me introduce you to the meal I make ALL the time with the slightest of variations each time based on what is in season.
Okay, so what’s in this orzo bowl?
- a big smear of garlick-y cashew cream sauce
- pillow-y orzo
- roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes
- crispy chickpeas
- melty fried feta
- and a bunch of herbs or microgreens
- a smattering of crunchy pistachios
Are you drooling yet?
Recipe Variations
Now here’s the thing with these “orzo bowls” or nourish bowls or whatever you want to call them…the recipe is VERY loose and very customizable. It’s not really even a recipe, more of a guideline.
Customize the veggies per the season:
- Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes in the winter
- Asparagus and yellow squash in the spring
- Cherry tomatoes and zucchini in the summer
- Butternut squash and kale in the fall
I have done all of these combos and can attest to their amazingness.
Customize the grain choice:
- Orzo
- Brown or wild rice
- Pearl couscous
- Quinoa
- Short cut pasta like fusili or penne
All amazing.
Customize the ‘finishes’:
- Fresh basil
- Fresh oregano
- Microgreens
- Balsamic glaze
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Pine nuts
- Pistachios
- Squeeze of lemon
- Flaky sea salt
I always do some combination of these and it is muah! Chef’s kiss.
But the one thing we always keep the same? the fried feta of course.
How to Make these orzo bowls:
First, blend together the creamy cashew sauce. You’ll want a high-powered blender or food processor for this. I use the cup attachment on my Vitamix. You could also use something like a Nutribullet.
Next, chop your veg, toss them with the chickpeas, a swish of olive oil, some seasonings and roast until caramelized.
Slice feta into planks and toss each plank in a little cornstarch to coat. Pop the planks in the freezer for 10-20 minutes (this will help prevent melting when you fry it up!) Over medium high heat in a good quality nonstick pan, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Add the planks of feta, taking care not to crowd the plan. Fry 2 minutes, flip and fry another minute. Work quickly, if you leave the feta in the pan too long it will melt!
Cook the orzo per the package.
Assembly time! Place a big swish of cashew sauce on your plate. Add a spoonful of orzo. Top with roasted veg and chickpea mixture. Add a couple pieces of fried feta. Garnish with whatever you desire- drizzle of balsamic glaze, squeeze of lemon, big handful of fresh herbs and a pinch of flaky sea salt!
FAQ
I LOVE meal prepping this meal! Make all of the components- cashew sauce, veggies, orzo and store them separately. I like to make the fried feta right before serving but this can also be prepped and reheated.
You can either place a portion of each component in meal prep containers OR keep each component separately in airtight containers and assemble when ready to eat.
Sure can! Read my blog post for all of the wonderful ways you can customize this dish!
If you love this recipe you will also love…
Roasted Squash and Farro Salad
Arugula salad with Beets and Goat Cheese
Watch how to make these orzo bowls:
I LOVE hearing and seeing all of the amazing things you all cook! Share a photo with me on Instagram and leave me a comment below if you tried this recipe!
Print
Orzo Bowls with Fried Feta and Roasted Veggies
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 servings 1x
Description
These orzo bowls are layered with a luscious cashew cream sauce, pillow-y orzo, roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes and fried feta!
Ingredients
- 2 small sweet potatoes, cubed
- 8oz Brussels Sprouts, quartered
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and patted dry
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon each fresh cracked pepper, sea salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, all purpose seasoning
Cashew cream
- 1 cup roasted cashews, soaked
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 2 cloves garlic
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Fried feta
- 6oz block feta, sliced into planks
- 1–2 tablespoons corn starch
- extra virgin olive oil, for frying
Assembly
- 1 cup orzo, cooked according to package
- fresh herbs like basil, oregano or parsley
- balsamic glaze
- chopped pistachios
- microgreens
Instructions
Cashew cream
Soak cashews in hot water for 15-20 minutes. Drain. Add soaked cashews, water, garlic, lemon and salt to a high powered blender and process until very smooth and creamy.
Veggies
Preheat oven to 425. Toss the Brussels sprouts, sweet potato and chickpeas with a drizzle of olive oil and the seasonings. Roast for 25 minutes.
Feta
Slice block of feta into planks. Coat each plank with a little cornstarch, patting off excess. If you have time, freeze for 10-20 minutes to help prevent melting when you fry it. Heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a good quality nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Fry the feta for 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel.
Assembly
Cook orzo according to package instructions. Spread a dollop of cashew cream on a plate. Top with orzo and roasted veggies. Add the fried feta, a big sprinkle of fresh herbs and/or microgreens, drizzle of balsamic glaze and handful of pistachios.
DIG IN.
Notes
To make this vegan, sub out the feta for tofu.
Instead of orzo you could also use pearl couscous or really any grain like rice, quinoa, etc.
Make sure to watch the video to see how this dish comes together!
Nutritional value are estimates and may vary based on brand of ingredients used.
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe
- Calories: 502
- Sugar: 7.4 g
- Sodium: 1055 mg
- Fat: 22.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 60.1 g
- Protein: 18.9 g
- Cholesterol: 37.9 mg
What machine do you use to purée the cashews? Ty! Can’t wait to try this dish’
That’s the single cup attachment for my Vitamix!
I made this with squash and white sweet potatoes because they were on sale. And I used pumpkin seeds instead of pistachios because I already had them on hand. I also subbed out the cornstarch for arrowroot powder because of a corn allergy, and it worked great. You definitely need some type of starch powder, though, for the feta to not burn. This recipe was a little more involved than most that I make, but it was delicious! Hit all the right spots. 🙂 I’m adding it to our rotation.
Thanks for sharing your modifications, they sound great! Thanks for trying the recipe, I’m so glad you enjoyed!
xx
Erica
What can I substitute for cashews?
Instead of a cashew sauce you could use hummus or plain Greek yogurt with garlic and lemon. It definitely won’t taste the same, but it still has the same vibe of a creamy sauce!
Made this in the summer with zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and mushrooms. I added in some apple chicken sausage for additional protein and garnished with micro greens, balsamic glaze, and a squeeze of lemon juice. This is by far my favorite dish I’ve ever made. I can’t wait to try it throughout the year with seasonal veggies!!
Yaaaay! So glad you loved it! You will absolutely love all the seasonal variations 🙂
So delicious and surprisingly easy to make. A winner!!
Woohoo! Thank you Angelique, so glad you liked it!
Erica
This was very flavorful but took much longer than 35 minutes. Each component was in effect a separate recipe. While the recipe was not technically difficult, it involved a saucepan, fry pan, roasting pan and blender. It seems like it’s a better concept to use stuff already in the fridge and tie it together with one or two of the components.
Certainly an option to do that! Thanks for trying the recipe!
What can I substitute for cashews?
Very delicious! The cashew sauce is so good!!
This is so good and a new repeat recipe in our house!
I combined the steak recipe with this nourish bowl ingredients (minus the feta) and it was so good!! The cashew sauce was incredible and will be a staple in my cooking!! Love everything Erica makes!