Pesto Orzo Salad
A refreshing orzo salad with broccolini, asparagus, and a creamy, oil-free almond pesto. Perfect for a nutritious meal.
Servings
Ingredients
- ¾ cup dry orzo
- 1 bunch broccolini
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 1.5 cups cooked butter beans
- 2 cups arugula
- 5.5 oz cherry tomatoes chopped in half
- 1 small shallots finely chopped
- 6 large green olives pitted and chopped
- 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
Creamy Oil-Free Almond Pesto
- 12 almonds
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ⅓ cup soy milk
- ⅛ tsp red chili flakes
- 1 pinch sea salt flakes
- 1 pinch freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 cup fresh basil packed tightly
Instructions
- Cover the almonds in boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain, peel off the skin (it should come off easily) and set aside.
- Cook the orzo in a large pot of salted water according to the packet instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Trim off the bottom fibrous part of the asparagus. Chop the rest of the asparagus into bite-size pieces, keeping the heads whole.
- Trim off the bottom fibrous part of the broccolini. Chop the rest into bite-size pieces.
- Prepare a medium saucepan with water and bring to a soft boil. Prepare a large bowl filled with ice water.
- Cook the asparagus and broccolini in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and transfer to iced water for two minutes, then drain again. This process is called blanching, and it prevents the vegetables from overcooking while retaining a vibrant green color.
- Prepare the dressing: In a small blender, add the almonds, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, chili flakes, salt, pepper, and basil. Blend until perfectly smooth. Add a little more milk if necessary (this will depend on your blender).
- In a large salad bowl, combine the rocket, butter beans, orzo, tomatoes, broccolini, asparagus, shallots, olives, pine nuts, and the dressing. Adjust salt to taste, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
This salad is perfect for those looking for a gluten-free option—simply substitute orzo with rice or quinoa.
Nutritional Information - Per Serving
Calories 543kcal | Carbohydrates 66g | Protein 26g | Fat 14g | Sodium 356mg | Fiber 18g | Vitamin A 252IU | Vitamin C 86mg | Calcium 250mg | Iron 8mg