Name: Creamy Vegan Orzo
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 16 oz of Dried Orzo (see note 1 below); 0.5 Cup Cashews + About 1 Cup Boiled Water (see note 2); 1 to 1.25 Cups Reserved Starchy Pasta Water (see note 3); 3-4 Sun Dried Tomatoes (About 1/2 Cup) (see note 4); 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice: If you're using fresh lemon for your lemon juice, you can also add a pinch of lemon zest for even more flavor.; 0.5 to 1 Teaspoon Salt; 2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast; 2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder; 2 Tablespoons Onion Powder

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This Creamy Vegan Orzo will be your new favorite quick dinner. With a sauce made from cashews (substitutions available) and sun-dried tomatoes, this recipe has a lot of flavor for only taking 15 minutes to make! Serve it as the perfect side dish or add a vegan protein for a complete meal.

Hey Internet, we've got another super simple recipe for you all today. Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta that's fun to eat with a spoon. It's super filling for something that comes in a small package and it cooks really fast, so it's a great choice to feed your whole family in not a whole lot of time.

And orzo isn't just good as pasta! We've used it in this Vegan Orzo Soup which is lemony and filled with vegan chicken made from soy curls. We also have this amazing Orzo Pesto Salad which is super fresh with tomatoes, basil, and corn.

With this recipe, we decided to go for a pasta dish with a super creamy texture. Cashew cream is a super easy way to make a vegan cream sauce without much work. Just soak the cashews in some boiled water and then blend.

The sauce for this recipe is basically a modified cashew cream with lots more flavor in it, so you don't need cashew cream lying around to make it. But if you're allergic to nuts, you can just as easily use raw sunflower seeds, like in our Sunflower Seed Cream recipe. Or use hemp seeds, silken tofu, coconut milk, boiled potatoes, or white beans!

Sundried tomatoes are a big reason why this dish has so much flavor. Drying tomatoes out concentrates the tomatoes flavor into these easy-to-use morsels that you can throw into whatever you're cooking. They're great chopped up into a dish, like in our Vegan Sun Dried Tomato Pasta, but for this orzo dish it's also great to blend them into a sauce.

Ok, enough talking. Let's make this easy dinner!

Why You'll Love this Vegan Orzo Recipe

Super Fast: This recipe only takes 15 minutes to make and doesn't involve lots of high effort prep work. You don't need much energy to complete this dish, so it's great on a weeknight.
Silky and Creamy: Although cooked differently than traditional risotto, this orzo recipe is so creamy it's basically a vegan orzo risotto. We LOVE this recipe.
Ultra Customizable: There's a lot of add-ons to this dish to make it even more filling and flavorful. We'll talk about it more in the add-ons sections.
Easy Meal Prep: After it's cooled, you can add the cooked orzo to a container and store it in the fridge. It makes for great meals for several days!

Ingredients

Pick up these simple ingredients for this orzo recipe the next time you're at a grocery store. See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredients, instructions, and accurate nutrition information (to the best of my ability; please consult your physician or healthcare professional if you have specific dietary needs or need to meet a certain daily value of any nutrient). I give substitutions for the ingredients in the section below this one, so most people can still make this recipe!

16 oz of Dried Orzo
0.5 Cup Cashews + About 1 Cup Boiled Water
1 to 1.25 Cups Reserved Starchy Pasta Water: Once your pasta has cooked a little, take a of the starchy water out using a measuring cup.
3-4 Sun Dried Tomatoes (About a ¼ Cup): We used sun dried tomatoes in oil for our recipe, but you can use the oil-free kind will also work since they're going to be blended up.
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice: If you're using fresh lemon for your lemon juice, you can also add a pinch of lemon zest for even more flavor.
0.5 to 1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
2 Tablespoons Onion Powder

Substitutions

Orzo: The orzo we used is made from durum wheat. It's easy to make this recipe gluten free with some gluten-free orzo or the gluten-free pasta of your choice. You can also use other types of pasta for this recipe, though it wouldn't be orzo. Also the cooking times may vary depending on what type of pasta you use. Other short pasta options include ditalini, elbows, or even stelline pasta like we used in our Vegan Pastina.
Cashews: You can make a creamy orzo with raw sunflower seeds instead! You'll want to soak them in the same method described below for the cashews. Other options include silken tofu, hemp seeds, canned coconut milk, boiled potatoes, or white beans such as cannellini beans.
Pasta Water: If you forgot to grab some before straining the orzo, don't worry! A little water from the kitchen sink will work in a pinch or vegetable stock or vegetable broth would also work. You could also use a plain/unflavored dairy-free milk, like soy milk or cashew milk for an even more creamy sauce.
Sun-dried Tomatoes: Tomato paste can be used in place of the sun-dried tomatoes (though it doesn't have the exact same flavor profile). A tablespoon or a little more should be a good replacement. You may need to adjust how much liquid you add to the sauce to get it to the right consistency.

Add-ons and Toppings

Tofu: Tofu is an amazing vegan protein! Our Crispy Tofu would be great way to add a crunch to this recipe.
Pre-made Vegan Meats: There are lots of vegan meat replacements available that you can stick in your fridge or freezer and quickly heat up. Some vegan chicken patties heated up in an air fryer and then sliced up would be great addition to the orzo.
Baby Spinach: Add fresh spinach (you may want to roughly chop it) to the Orzo while it's still hot and will wilt nicely!
Chopped Sun Dried Tomatoes or quartered cherry tomatoes
Fresh Basil
Fresh Ground Black Pepper and Sea Salt, to taste
Red Pepper Flakes
Vegan Parmesan cheese: Or try our homemade 5 minute Vegan Parmesan Topping made from hemp seeds!
A drizzle of olive oil or a pat of vegan butter while the pasta is still hot

How to Make Creamy Lemon Orzo

Start the Orzo: Add water and a bit of salt to a large pot and bring to a boil. Then add your dried orzo and stir occasionally, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan because even in boiling water, orzo can sometimes stick. Keep an eye on it. Some folks like to cook till al dente and some like their orzo a little softer (we do). Just take a little bite every couple of minutes to ensure the pasta is cooked to your preference.
Soak the Cashews: While the water comes to a boil, microwave or boil the 1 cup of water in a kettle. Add the cashew to a bowl and then cover with the boiled water. Cover the bowl with a plate to help with the softening process. Softened cashews will blend into a cream much more easily.
Blend: Strain the Cashews and then add to a high-speed blender. Add the pasta water, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder as well. Blend until smooth.
Add to Orzo: Strain your tender orzo pasta and then add it back to the empty pot. Add the sauce from the blender and then mix together.
Serve: Add to a bowl and top with your add-ons. Enjoy with a little vegan garlic bread and your favorite veggie for a delicious meal.

Storage Instructions

Let the orzo cool until it is safe to handle. Add to an airtight container and store it in a refrigerator. It should last for 3 to 5 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Could this recipe work for any type of pasta?

Yes! Cook times might vary depending your choice of pasta, but you do you.

Can I make this gluten free?

Yes! Just use a gluten free pasta or orzo and the rest of the recipe is safe!

What is nutritional yeast? Where can I get it?

Nutritional yeast is a nutty, cheesy tasting powder that is useful for many things. In this recipe, it's used to add nuttiness and body to the sauce. It can also be used to make vegan cheese sauces! You can often find a tube of it at grocery stores, but it's often cheaper to buy it in bulk.

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