Can I also use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes?

Yes, of course. You also don’t need to soak them for the silken tofu cream. When blending, you should still add 1/4 cup / 50-60 ml of water.

Is the recipe gluten-free?

Orzo is traditionally made from durum wheat semolina. However, you can also find gluten-free orzo-style pasta online, made for example from rice and corn. Just use the gluten-free type to make the recipe gluten-free.

Can I replace the silken tofu?

Silken tofu gives the dish its wonderful light creaminess. If you’d rather not use tofu and make it soy-free you can use about 150 ml / 1 cup + 2 tbsp of plant-based drink and 1–2 tbsp of cashew butter instead.

Creamy Vegan Tomato Orzo - Veggie Jam English

Name: Creamy Vegan Tomato Orzo
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 21 min
Total time: 26 min
Ingredients: 1 small onion or shallot; 3 garlic cloves; 200–250 g (1 1/2 - 2 cups) cherry tomatoes; 560 ml (2 1/2 cups) vegetable broth; 200 g (1 cup) orzo pasta; 8 halves (32 g, ~1/4 cup) sun-dried tomatoes (without oil); 200 g (7 oz) silken tofu; 2 tbsp nutritional yeast; 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar; 2 handful baby spinach, chopped (optional); ½ tsp dried basil; ½ tsp dried oregano; ½ tsp salt; Fresh basil leaves for serving (optional); Vegan parmesan for serving (optional)

Creamy Vegan Tomato Orzo

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This creamy vegan tomato orzo has the potential to become your new favorite weeknight dinner: an uncomplicated one-pan orzo recipe, on the table in about 25 minutes, and so creamy that with the very first spoonful you can hardly believe there’s neither cream nor oil involved.

Author: Melanie@Veggiejam
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 21 minutes
Total Time: 26 minutes
Yield: 2-3 servings

Ingredients

1 small onion or shallot
3 garlic cloves
200–250 g (1 1/2 - 2 cups) cherry tomatoes
560 ml (2 1/2 cups) vegetable broth
200 g (1 cup) orzo pasta
8 halves (32 g, ~1/4 cup) sun-dried tomatoes (without oil)
200 g (7 oz) silken tofu
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 handful baby spinach, chopped (optional)
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp salt
Fresh basil leaves for serving (optional)
Vegan parmesan for serving (optional)

Instructions

Soak the sun-dried tomatoes: Pour 60 ml / 1/4 cup of hot water over 3 sun-dried tomato halves (about 12 g) in a small bowl and set aside.
Cook the aromatics: Finely chop the onion and garlic and sauté them in a large, deep pan with a little water or oil for about 4 minutes until translucent.
Cook the tomatoes: Finely chop the remaining sun-dried tomatoes and add them to the pan together with the cherry tomatoes. Pour in the vegetable broth, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
Cook the orzo: Carefully crush the tomatoes with a spoon. Stir in the orzo, dried basil and oregano and simmer covered over medium heat for 8–9 minutes, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks.
Blend the silken tofu cream: In the meantime, blend the silken tofu, nutritional yeast, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and the soaked sun-dried tomatoes together with their soaking water in a blender until creamy.
Bring it all together: Add the tofu cream to the pan and stir in well. Roughly chop the fresh basil and spinach and mix them in. Simmer for another 3 minutes until the spinach has wilted.
Serve: Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with vegan parmesan and fresh basil if you like.

Find it online: https://www.veggiejam.com/english/creamy-vegan-tomato-orzo/