Leek and Mushroom Orzo

Name: Leek and Mushroom Orzo
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients: 1/4 cup, chopped Leeks; 1/3 teaspoon, vegetable Soybean Oil; 1/4 cup, sliced White Button Mushroom; 2 tablespoons, orzo, about cup cooked Pasta (Dry, Enriched); 1/4 cup Low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth; 2 tablespoons, chopped Tomato (Roma); 1 teaspoon Cream Cheese; 1/8 teaspoon Garlic powder; to taste Salt and black pepper

A half-cup side of orzo simmered with leeks, mushrooms and tomato — 148 calories a serving.

148kcal per serving

5.3gprotein

22.7gcarbs

4gfat

39 mgsodium

Sodium is calculated without salt added to taste.

Estimated; may vary.

Prep15 min

Cook30 min

Total45 min

Makes1 serving

DifficultyMedium

Leek and mushroom orzo, scaled down to a single half-cup side: 148 calories and 5.3 g of protein a serving. Orzo is pasta shaped like a grain of rice, so it cooks straight in the pan with the broth and the vegetables rather than in a separate pot of water, and it picks up everything in the skillet as it goes.

Toast the dry orzo in the pan for about three minutes before the broth goes in. It takes on a little colour and a faint nutty smell, and the grains hold their shape through the simmer instead of going soft at the edges. Stir it the whole time so nothing catches on the bottom of the pan.

It reheats well with a splash of broth to loosen the starch that sets as it cools. Swap the cream cheese for a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt stirred in off the heat if you want less fat, and serve it next to roast chicken, a piece of baked fish or a plate of roasted vegetables.

Ingredients

Servings

Leeks1/4 cup, chopped (20 g)
Soybean Oil1/3 teaspoon, vegetable (1.5 g)
White Button Mushroom1/4 cup, sliced (16 g)
Pasta (Dry, Enriched)2 tablespoons, orzo, about cup cooked (23 g)
Low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth ^*1/4 cup (53 g)
Tomato (Roma)2 tablespoons, chopped (30 g)
Cream Cheese1 teaspoon (5 g)
Garlic powder1/8 teaspoon
Salt and black pepperto taste

Ingredient swaps

Vegetarian

Low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth → Vegetable broth 53 g

Cook’s tips

Leeks trap grit between their layers. Chop them first, then swish the pieces in a bowl of water and lift them out, leaving the sand behind.
Toast the dry orzo until it smells nutty before the broth goes in; that is what keeps the grains separate through the simmer.
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat to 165°F with a splash of broth.
Contains: wheat (orzo pasta), milk (cream cheese).
For gluten-free, use a rice-shaped gluten-free pasta and check the broth label. For dairy-free, stir in plain unsweetened plant yogurt instead of cream cheese.

Method

Wash your hands and all surfaces before you start.
Chop the leeks, then swish the pieces in a bowl of water to wash out any grit.
Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and cook the leeks about 5 minutes, until soft.
Add the sliced mushrooms and cook about 5 minutes more, until they release their liquid.
Stir in the dry orzo and toast it about 3 minutes, stirring often, until it smells nutty.
Add the broth, bring to a boil, then simmer about 8 minutes, stirring, until the orzo is almost tender.
Add the chopped tomato and simmer about 2 minutes more, until the orzo is tender.
Off the heat, stir in the cream cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

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