READY IN 30 mins

Lemon Orzo Primavera

Read Reviews (126)

"Colorful vegetables and the flavors of lemon and thyme make this orzo dish great for picnics. You can chop the zucchini and carrot instead of grating them to cut down on prep time, just be sure to cook them for a few minutes longer before adding the orzo." — LitleLisa1

Directions

Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Stir in orzo, and cook 2 minutes, until golden. Stir in garlic, zucchini, and carrot, and cook 2 minutes. Pour in the broth and mix in lemon zest. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, or until liquid has been absorbed and orzo is tender. Season with thyme and top with Parmesan to serve.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 15 mins
COOK 15 mins
READY IN 30 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jul 11, 2006

This was a good and simple recipe and has potential to make for a very colorful presentation but I needed to adjust the cooking times. Maybe it was the pan I used, but after 10 minutes of simmering, my orzo was not done but the liquid was gone. So I added about 1/4 cup more broth and simmered for another 6 minutes. That overcooked the shredded vegetables so next time I make this--and there definitely will be a next time--I will plan to simmer for 15 minutes with extra broth, but not add the veggies until there's about 8 minutes left. That will leave the dish fresh and colorful. It also needed salt and pepper with the thyme.

—LCURT

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Sep 21, 2009

This was colorful, I'll give it that - and certainly nutritious too, given the addition of the carrots and zucchini. As for flavor, however, if it wasn't for the lemon flavor there wouldn't be much flavor at all.

—naples34102

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170 Ratings

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Jan 30, 2008

Outstanding! Can I give this recipe 6 stars??? We had this with dinner last night and absolutely LOVED it! The only thing I added was a couple of squeezes of lemon juice from the lemon I had zested. Not only is this dish yummy, but it's also quite healthy. Thank you and thank you twice for submitting this one! I will be making it again and again!

—Renee Ridgeway

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Jun 26, 2007

This was a delicious recipe. I used chicken broth for the liquid and 1 tbsp fresh chopped thyme, as well as ground pepper. As others suggested, I added chopped carrot and zucchini to the orzo with about 8 minutes left in the cooking time. I found the 14 ounces of liquid was enough, as the chopped veggies created enough extra liquid for the pasta to cook and the veggies were tender, not at all soggy. I left the top on the pot - which helped retain adequate liquid to cook the orzo.

—Barb A.

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Oct 01, 2007

This meal makes a wonderful light lunch or side dish! We were really impressed. To accompany the lemon zest I added two tablespoons of juice from the same lemon, and the flavours blended really well. Slightly tangy, but delicious. Next time I will increase the amount of carrot and zucchini, and possibly make the additions of eggplant and onion to make it even better.

—CHELS

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Mar 30, 2009

DEE-LICIOUS! This is great! I went ahead and toasted the orzo in oil for two minutes and then I added just the veggie broth. I used a 14 oz. can plus a tad from another can in fear the liquid would all be absorbed. I cooked like this for 7 minutes. After the 7 minutes I added everthing else and cooked for 8 more minutes. This was just scrumtious. I served with "Grilled Lemon Chicken" from AR. What a combo! Thanks for sharing :-)

—Heather

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Jan 12, 2007

I HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AS THE OTHER REVIEWER. ORZO NOT COOKED; LIQUID GONE. ADDED MORE LIQUID AND COOKED LONGER AND VEGGIES WERE OVERDONE. BUT STILL DELISH. JUST FOLLOW HER ADVICE. MORE LIQUID AND COOKING TIME AND DON'T ADD VEGGIES TILL ALMOST COOKED. I DIDN'T HAVE ANY ZUCCHINI SO I USED FROZEN PEAS. I THINK CHOPPING THE VEGGIES INSTEAD OF SHREDDING WOULD BE BETTER AS FAR AS TEXTURE GOES BUT PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE AS PRETTY.

—EM4BERN

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Jun 18, 2006

YUM! This turned out way better than I expected and received full compliments from hubby. It tastes just as good using lime as it does lemon. I didnt have any veg broth (island life!) and thus made my own; I used some stock and a little asparagus condensed soup as the base, and then added a tin of "salad vegetables" (baby carrots, beans and peas etc) all mashed up. Turned out a treat. Will make again. Cheers!

—lime pickle

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Nutrition

Calories
279 kcal
14%

Carbohydrates
44.7 g
14%

Cholesterol
4 mg
1%

Fat
6.3 g
10%

Fiber
3.9 g
16%

Protein
10.4 g
21%

Sodium
295 mg
12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Lemon Orzo Primavera

Serving Size: 1/4 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 279
Calories from Fat: 57

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 6.3g 10 %
Saturated Fat 1.6g 8 %
Cholesterol 4mg 1 %
Sodium 295mg 12 %
** Potassium 248mg 7 %
Total Carbohydrates 44.7g 14 %
Dietary Fiber 3.9g 16 %
Protein 10.4g 21 %
** Sugars 3.7g
Vitamin A 63 %
Vitamin C 21 %
Calcium 11 %
Iron 22 %
** Thiamin 31 %
** Niacin 36 %
** Vitamin B6 13 %
** Magnesium 13 %
** Folate 61 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.