APRICOT + ROSEMARY 'MEATBALLS' with creamy orzo

Name: APRICOT + ROSEMARY 'MEATBALLS' with creamy orzo
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1 litre vegetable stock; 320 g orzo; 4 tbsp nutritional yeast; 150 g vegan cream cheese; 1 lemon lemon, juice only; 1 large handful basil, leaves picked; olive oil; 1 onion onion, peeled + chopped; 4 cloves garlic cloves, peeled + chopped; 100 g walnut halves; 2 x 400g tins of borlotti beans, drained + rinsed; 1 lemon lemon, zest only; 2 sprigs sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked; 100 g dried apricots; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 1 pinch salt; 1 large pinch pepper; 80 g breadcrumbs

Serves 4

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APRICOT + ROSEMARY 'MEATBALLS' with creamy orzo

instagram.com

Serves 4

Directions

1Add oil to a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat.
2Add the chopped onion and cook for 8 minutes until caramelized.
3Next, add the chopped garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes until caramelized.
4Transfer the caramelized onion and garlic to a food processor.
5Add walnuts, dried apricots, tinned beans (such as borlotti), lemon zest, fresh rosemary, soy sauce, a pinch of salt, and a large pinch of pepper to the food processor.
6Pulse the mixture until it has mostly broken down and no large pieces remain.
7Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
8Add breadcrumbs to the mixture and combine using your hands to give the mixture structure.
9Shape the mixture into evenly-sized balls.
10Add another splash of oil to the pan you used earlier.
11Add the balls to the pan and fry them until they are crispy and brown on all sides.
12Add vegetable stock to a large saucepan and bring it to a boil.
13Add the orzo to the boiling vegetable stock and gently boil until al dente, stirring to prevent sticking.
14When the orzo is cooked, reduce the heat and stir in vegan cream cheese.
15Add nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and pinches of salt and pepper to the orzo and mix well.
16Finely chop a bunch of basil.
17Combine the finely chopped basil with olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl to make a simple dressing.
18To serve, add the creamy orzo to bowls.
19Top the orzo with the meatless meatballs and drizzle with the basil oil dressing.

Ingredients

1 litre vegetable stock
320 g orzo
4 tbsp nutritional yeast
150 g vegan cream cheese
1 lemon lemon, juice only
1 large handful basil, leaves picked
olive oil
1 onion onion, peeled + chopped
4 cloves garlic cloves, peeled + chopped
100 g walnut halves
2 x 400g tins of borlotti beans, drained + rinsed
1 lemon lemon, zest only
2 sprigs sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked
100 g dried apricots
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 pinch salt
1 large pinch pepper
80 g breadcrumbs

Equipment

non-stick frying panfood processorlarge mixing bowllarge saucepanbowl

Tips

If the meatball mixture feels too dry, add a drizzle of oil to help bind the ingredients.
For the creamiest orzo, cook it in vegetable stock rather than boiling and draining, as this captures all the starch.
Add extra hot water from a kettle to the orzo if necessary during cooking to prevent sticking and achieve desired consistency.
You can use any type of tinned beans for the meatballs, such as borlotti beans.
The recipe suggests calling the meatless spherical objects "meatballs" because they look and taste like them, despite being plant-based

APRICOT + ROSEMARY 'MEATBALLS' with creamy orzo

Serves 4

instagram.com

APRICOT + ROSEMARY 'MEATBALLS' with creamy orzo

instagram.com

Serves 4

Directions

1Add oil to a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat.
2Add the chopped onion and cook for 8 minutes until caramelized.
3Next, add the chopped garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes until caramelized.
4Transfer the caramelized onion and garlic to a food processor.
5Add walnuts, dried apricots, tinned beans (such as borlotti), lemon zest, fresh rosemary, soy sauce, a pinch of salt, and a large pinch of pepper to the food processor.
6Pulse the mixture until it has mostly broken down and no large pieces remain.
7Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
8Add breadcrumbs to the mixture and combine using your hands to give the mixture structure.
9Shape the mixture into evenly-sized balls.
10Add another splash of oil to the pan you used earlier.
11Add the balls to the pan and fry them until they are crispy and brown on all sides.
12Add vegetable stock to a large saucepan and bring it to a boil.
13Add the orzo to the boiling vegetable stock and gently boil until al dente, stirring to prevent sticking.
14When the orzo is cooked, reduce the heat and stir in vegan cream cheese.
15Add nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and pinches of salt and pepper to the orzo and mix well.
16Finely chop a bunch of basil.
17Combine the finely chopped basil with olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl to make a simple dressing.
18To serve, add the creamy orzo to bowls.
19Top the orzo with the meatless meatballs and drizzle with the basil oil dressing.

Ingredients

1 litre vegetable stock
320 g orzo
4 tbsp nutritional yeast
150 g vegan cream cheese
1 lemon lemon, juice only
1 large handful basil, leaves picked
olive oil
1 onion onion, peeled + chopped
4 cloves garlic cloves, peeled + chopped
100 g walnut halves
2 x 400g tins of borlotti beans, drained + rinsed
1 lemon lemon, zest only
2 sprigs sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked
100 g dried apricots
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 pinch salt
1 large pinch pepper
80 g breadcrumbs

Equipment

non-stick frying panfood processorlarge mixing bowllarge saucepanbowl

Tips

If the meatball mixture feels too dry, add a drizzle of oil to help bind the ingredients.
For the creamiest orzo, cook it in vegetable stock rather than boiling and draining, as this captures all the starch.
Add extra hot water from a kettle to the orzo if necessary during cooking to prevent sticking and achieve desired consistency.
You can use any type of tinned beans for the meatballs, such as borlotti beans.
The recipe suggests calling the meatless spherical objects "meatballs" because they look and taste like them, despite being plant-based