Vegan orzo with chicory, raisins, chili and almonds

I am a big fan of celebrating beautiful vegan recipes, especially when they come from the right place. I don’t really buy into vegan-alternatives or substitutes, if I decide to go for a green dish, I rather choose one that doesn’t portrait meat in any form but it shines for what it is, and luckily for me, the Italian culinary tradition is full of such dishes.

I love Orzo pasta, it gives you the ability to create the most comforting bowl of all time and brings me immediately back to my childhood. Think of this recipe like a midway between a risotto and a soup. Creamy orzo with bitter green chicory puree and served with raisins, chili and almonds to create all of the contrast you need in a great dish.

Serves: 2 // Preparation Time: 30 minutes // Cooking Time:  30 minutes

Ingredients

• 250 g of Orzo pasta

• 1 small onion

• 250 gr of green chicory or any other green bitter(ish) leaves

• 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

• 1 clove of carlic

• 20 gr of re-hydrated raisins (soaked in water for 1 hour)

• 20 gr of chopped almonds to garnish

• 1 red chili to garnish

• Rocket salad leaves to garnish

• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Start by preparing the puree.

Sweat the chopped onion with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Rinse well the chicory and chop roughly. After a few minutes add the chicory to the onion and keep cooking on medium heat with a lid. Mix every now and then and add a splash of water. When soft and cooked through, blitz everything with a blender and check the seasoning. Keep on the side. 

Chop the garlic and fry in olive oil until golden in a large pan. Add the orzo and pour in enough hot water to cover the pasta. Add a pinch of salt and cook while stirring and adding hot water as you go for 6 minutes. At this stage add enough chicory puree to make the orzo bright green and keep cooking with water until the pasta is cooked.

Remove the pasta from the stove, check the seasoning and add a good drizzle of olive oil. Stir well and plate in large bowls. Dress the Orzo with the raisins, the thinly sliced chilli and chopped skinned almonds. Optionally add rocket salad leaves of tender leaves of raw chicory and enjoy.