One Pot Enchilada Orzo (Vegetarian)
This one pot enchilada orzo has all the delicious flavours of a classic vegetarian enchilada – smoky spices, heaps of veggies and beans, and plenty of melted cheese (of course!) – but everything cooks together in a single pan with orzo, instead of requiring any fussy rolling of tortillas. It’s hearty, it’s comforting, and best of all, there are hardly any dishes to wash afterwards!
You might also like: Cheese and Tomato Baked Orzo; One Pot Vegetarian Chilli Mac; Roasted Vegetable Enchilada Casserole.
If you’re not familiar with orzo, it’s essentially tiny, rice-shaped pieces of pasta. As the orzo simmers, it soaks up the easy homemade enchilada sauce and all those delicious Tex-Mex-inspired flavours, creating a wonderfully creamy, risotto-like texture without having to do lots of tedious stirring.
This is exactly the sort of easy recipe that’s perfect for a busy weeknight when you want something wholesome and filling, without spending ages in the kitchen. I like to serve it with big dollops of sour cream and guacamole for a seriously easy, cheesy vegetarian dinner.
🥣 One Pot Dinner
As you know, I adore a one pot meal – cleaning the kitchen is one of those never ending jobs that I could quite happily go without. So any time a meal can be made with minimal mess, that’s a major plus in my book!
In this enchilada orzo recipe, everything cooks in just one pan – the vegetables, the orzo itself, even the homemade sauce! It all bubbles up together to give one nice big pot of deliciousness.
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🥗 Ingredients and Substitutions
Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe.
Detailed ingredient quantities (in both US and UK recipe formats) can be found in the printable recipe card.
- orzo (or another tiny pasta shape)
- vegetables – I used zucchini (courgette), red pepper, sweetcorn, and spinach.
- black beans
- tomato paste
- vegetable stock
- spices – smoked paprika, cumin, garlic granules, and chilli powder.
- flour (to thicken the sauce a little)
- grated cheese
If you’d like to, you can change up the vegetables in this easy orzo recipe to use up whatever you have in the fridge, or to suit your family’s preferences. You could try:
- red onion
- spring onions
- mushrooms
- frozen peas
or whatever else you have that needs using up!
Becca’s Top Tip
If you’re using a vegetable that needs a bit of cooking (like onion or mushrooms), add it at the start of the recipe so it can sauté a little. If your vegetable choices don’t need much cooking (like canned veggies or fresh leaves), add them towards the end, before topping with cheese.
You could also try…
Cheese and Tomato Baked Orzo with Lentils
One Pot Vegetarian Chilli Mac
Roasted Vegetable Enchilada Casserole
🖨️ Printable Instructions
One Pot Enchilada Orzo
If you’ve cooked this recipe, don’t forget to leave a star rating!
Print Pin Comment(if you suffer from allergies, please double check all ingredients before eating)
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons oil
- 1 medium courgette (zucchini), diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced (I used red)
- 1 Tablespoon plain flour
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder (I used mild)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic granules
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon tomato puree (tomato paste)
- 1 litre (~ 4 cups) vegetable stock (I used a stock cube and water, but liquid stock is also good)
- 300 g (~ 1 1/2 cups) orzo
- 400 g tin black beans, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
- 160 g (~ 1 cup) canned sweetcorn
- Large handful fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 100 g (~ 1 cup) grated cheese (I used cheddar)
- To serve (optional): fresh coriander (cilantro), sour cream, guacamole
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a deep frying pan or saucepan, over a medium heat. Add the diced courgette (zucchini) and pepper, and cook for a few minutes, until slightly softened.
- Turn the heat down a little, and move the vegetables to the edge of the pan. Add the flour, smoked paprika, chilli powder, cumin, garlic granules, black pepper, and tomato puree. Cook over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for just a minute or two. Don’t worry if some of the vegetables find themselves getting mixed in, this step doesn’t have to be perfect.
- Add about one cup of the veggie stock, and mix it into the spice paste to help avoid lumps. Then add the remaining stock, orzo, drained black beans, and drained corn. Mix well to combine. If you’re using low sodium stock, you might also want to add a dash of salt.
- Add a lid to the pan if you have one, and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cook for around 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the orzo is nearly cooked. If the mixture begins to dry out or stick on the bottom of the pan, you can add a splash more liquid.
- When the orzo is nearly cooked to your liking, add the roughly chopped spinach, and mix well. Sprinkle the cheese on top, and cover the pan for a few more minutes to melt the cheese. I topped mine with some fresh coriander (cilantro) for garnish.
- Serve warm.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Yes, this enchilada orzo reheats nicely in the microwave, so you can cook it in advance and reheat individual portions when needed. If you’re cooking for guests, it’s best cooked fresh.
Yes, you can freeze any leftovers in an airtight container. Bear in mind that the texture of the orzo may become a little softer after freezing and thawing, so if you can eat it when it’s freshly cooked, that’s best.
As with any good one pot dish, this easy one pot orzo can work well as a standalone dish. However, if you do want to add some variety to your plate, it’s great served with a dollop of guacamole or some fresh avocado.
