Spring Lemon & Asparagus Orzo with Chicken

Soft, lemony orzo with tender chicken and delicious British asparagus is hard to beat at this time of year. The orzo pasta turns creamy as it cooks, soaking up the stock, while the lemon zest keeps everything fresh rather than rich. The asparagus is added right at the end, so it stays lovely and crisp, which lifts the whole dish.

Asparagus is a nutritional powerhouse, packed with folate, vitamins A, C, E and K. It helps our body make glutathione, our master antioxidant which repairs our skin and cells from environmental damage.

This recipe is naturally dairy-free and you can find the gluten-free switches in the cook’s tips below.

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Spring Lemon & Asparagus Orzo

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Course Main Courses

Servings

Suitable for Special Diet (or adaptable) Dairy-free, Egg-free, Gluten-free, Nut-free

Ingredients

1 Leek
1 Courgette
2 breasts Chicken
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Lemon (zest only)
250 g Orzo
750 ml Chicken Stock
125 g Asparagus (fine)

To serve

1 tbsp Parsley (optional)

Instructions

Finely slice the leek and chop the courgette. Slice the chicken breasts into roughly 1cm strips.
Heat the olive oil in a large-lidded pan over a medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring regularly, until it’s just cooked through.
Add the leek and courgette and cook for around 5 minutes more, until they are softened but still holding their shape.
Stir in the lemon zest, orzo and chicken stock. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook for 8 minutes, giving it an occasional stir so nothing catches.
Lay the asparagus over the top, pop the lid back on and let it steam for a further 4 minutes, until just tender.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and then scatter over the parsley if you are using it, and serve straight away.

Notes

Extra vegetable ideas: A handful of peas or some spinach stirred through at the end will work really well in this recipe.

Gluten-free: Swap the orzo for a gluten-free orzo version or use gluten-free Stelline or Anellini soup pastas. For a higher-protein, higher-fibre switch, use red lentil rice or chickpea rice, adjusting the cooking time according to the packet instructions.

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge and eaten within 3 days. This makes a delicious portable lunch.

Per serving. Nutrition content in food is never consistent, so take these estimates with a pinch of salt! Also, our recipes tend to use low-GI carbs and sugars, so these values are not directly comparable with shop-bought UPFs.

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