Toasted Lemon Pepper Orzo with Crispy Chickpeas

4.75 from 32 votes

Toasted Lemon Pepper Orzo with Crispy Chickpeas

Spicy lemony orzo toasted until golden brown and topped with crunchy pan-fried chickpeas, green olives and crumbled feta. Vegan, easy to make and perfect for a simple, flavorful dinner.

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Total Time35

Course: Pasta

Cuisine: Vegan

Servings: servings

Calories: 648kcal

Author: Elaine S.

Ingredients

1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 tbsp olive oil divided
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
1 1/4 cup orzo dry
3 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp sugar or honey
3/4 tsp kosher salt
Lemon peel strips from 1 unwaxed lemon
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup pitted green olives preferably Castelvetrano
Freshly ground black pepper
Chopped parsley and feta vegan if needed for serving

Instructions

Spread the chickpeas onto a few sheets of paper towel and gently pat them dry. The drier they are, the crispier they'll get.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of oil over medium high heat. When shimmering, add the chickpeas. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until just beggining to crisp. Stir in the rosemary, oregano and pinch of salt, cook for 5-10 minutes more until golden brown and crunchy.
If using the same skillet, transfer the chickpeas to a plate and return the skillet to medium heat. Add another 2 tbsp of olive oil and the orzo. Toast, stirring frequently for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant.
Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes more before adding the vegetable broth, sugar (or honey if using), salt and lemon peel. Bring to a boil and cook for 7-10 minutes or until the orzo is tender and all the broth has been absorbed.
Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice, green olives and a few grinds of black pepper. To serve, divide among plates and top with crispy chickpeas, chopped parsley and crumbled feta.

Notes

If you want to save some time, you can use two seperate skillets and get started on the orzo while the chickpeas cook. This way, they'll be ready at about the same time.

Nutrition