READY IN 35 mins

Orzo with Kale

Read Reviews (86)

"A light summer dish. Great with white wine." — Sunaina

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly-salted water to a boil; sprinkle the turmeric over the boiling water and stir in the orzo; return to a boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain. Scrape into a mixing bowl and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the garlic in the hot oil for a few seconds until it begins to bubble. Stir the kale into the garlic, cover the skillet with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the cover and continue cooking and stirring until the kale is tender, about 10 minutes more. Stir the kale mixture into the orzo along with the lemon juice, nutmeg, and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 10 mins
COOK 25 mins
READY IN 35 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Nov 19, 2009

The flavors were delicious. If i make it again I would put a little chicken stock with the kale and garlic while it is cooking. My garlic burned and the kale was not soft and tender.

—ecoshu

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Apr 26, 2010

I have never had kale before and I got a bunch in my bountiful basket this weekend. I found this and we LOVE orzo so I thought I would give it a try. Not sure why you need the turmeric other than it makes your orzo a pretty color. This makes a HUGE side dish. I normally only make half a pound, but I wanted to follow the recipe. Make sure you stem the Kale- it doesn't get soft and I was glad I did a good job on all but one leaf. Kale is not bad, but I think the lemon juice and parm is a little on the light side for this much orzo. I also found my kale starting to burn with no water just the evoo to cook it in and my garlic was clearly on the brown side. If I did this again I would cook my garlic then add a little water or stock to steam my kale instead of cooking it in the oil. Some of the pieces got really crispy. Thanks for sharing overall it was good I would just make a few minor changes next time.

—SWEETJAM

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119 Ratings

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Jul 07, 2010

Quiet, mellow flavors. Perfectly understated, just as I like it, just as I wanted it. Well balanced combination of the flavors, and I particularly liked the additions of nutmeg and lemon juice, which I didn't measure, just added to taste, probably less than what was called for. The turmeric gives the orzo a brilliant yellow color which, in combination with the green kale (I used arugula because I grow it), gave this a striking appearance. (Note to self: this might make a great dish for a Green Bay Packers party with its vivid colors of green and gold!) Other than seasoning to taste rather than adhering strictly to the given measurements, I wouldn't change this recipe at all and have absolutely no criticism. It's lovely.

—naples34102

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Aug 17, 2009

This is one of those recipes where you really wish there was a 10 star rating option. We absolutely loved this. The flavors are amazing. I added some halved cherry tomatoes right before serving. Thank you so much! :)

—CookinBug

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Dec 08, 2009

DELISH! i took the suggestions of adding beans and cherry tomatoes and it makes the dish more filling for a main course. I also added red pepper flakes to the oil and garlic before adding the kale and it gave it a lovely kick!

—zoe261

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Feb 11, 2011

Love this recipe. I boiled 1 cup water add chicken bouillon cube and then added chopped kale to water to let it simmer until it softens. Meanwhile, I sauteed mushrooms, carrots, red pepper and onion and added garlic, crushed red pepper, nutmeg and lemon juice, seasoning salt and cumin. Cumin and lemon juice are excellent together. Drain kale and mix w/veggies and orzo. Fabulous. I used only one cup orzo and it made 4 lunch sized meals.

—morgy

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Jul 28, 2009

this was really quite lovely. I added some white beans and pine nuts, and later when I had leftovers I added some sauteed mushrooms. actually used the full amount of kale for half the orzo by accident, but it worked out fine. nice recipe!

—turtledonkey

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Jan 03, 2011

I thought two cups of orzo to be a bit much, so I cut it in half.

—pixi

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Nutrition

Calories
206 kcal
10%

Carbohydrates
36.1 g
12%

Cholesterol
2 mg
< 1%

Fat
4.2 g
7%

Fiber
2.8 g
11%

Protein
7.9 g
16%

Sodium
91 mg
4%

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

Nutritional Information

Orzo with Kale

Serving Size: 1/10 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 10
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 206
Calories from Fat: 38

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 4.2g 7 %
Saturated Fat 1g 5 %
Cholesterol 2mg < 1 %
Sodium 91mg 4 %
Potassium 287mg 8 %
Total Carbohydrates 36.1g 12 %
Dietary Fiber 2.8g 11 %
Protein 7.9g 16 %
** Sugars 1.7g
Vitamin A 138 %
Vitamin C 105 %
Calcium 12 %
Iron 23 %
** Thiamin 6 %
Niacin 24 %
** Vitamin B6 10 %
Magnesium 14 %
Folate 55 %

* 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.