Broccoli Orzo

We make this regularly it is so good. I don’t add any fake meat and it’s still really good. I add the broccoli into the orzo when cooking and it cooks lovely without having to use another pot. I don’t do the breadcrumbs at the end as it’s an extra step I sometimes can’t be bothered with but I will add some ‘Parmesan’ and pine nuts to finish. Delicious. And my 16 month old loves it too. Win win.

PUL Team - March 27, 2025, 4:16 p.m.

This sounds perfect, Danielle, love the broccoli hack! And toddler-approved? That's the biggest compliment! 🥰

Easy to make, simple flavors, but the topping gives it that little extra 'oomph'

This was really good and easy! But almost felt like it was missing something, maybe some garlic, or lemon juice?
I'll definitely have to try it again though!

PUL Team - March 9, 2025, 8:53 p.m.

Hey Amy! We've heard some positive reviews for adding garlic. Happy cooking 🤗

I mistakenly made the crunchy topping using nutritional yeast flakes instead of panto breadcrumbs 😆 good news, though: that actually works!

this was so delicious and easy to make!! Loved it

Love it, very easy to make. I used frozen pre chopped broccoli😊

This is great weeknight meal. Super comforting and delicious!

This was so easy to make and soooo good! As others have commented, my broccoli didn’t cook quite enough (cast iron Dutch oven, let it sit in there for 10 min) so I ended up pulling it out and popping it in the air fryer for a couple minutes. I did leve it on top of the orzo, so was wondering if I mixed it in before covering if that would have helped. Harder to pull out though if it still didn’t cook enough 🤷‍♀️ Will definitely make again in any case.

PUL Team - Feb. 16, 2025, 8:08 p.m.

Thanks for sharing your experience with the recipe, Erica, it's brilliant feedback. We wanted the orzo to have some bite, but we now realize it's not everyone's cup of tea, so we've updated the recipe to add the broccoli to the orzo sooner to help it better cook through. Thanks for sharing your feedback and helping us improve what we do. So glad you enjoyed this one! 😊

A protein-packed comfort bowl, loved it. The topping really makes this! I did struggle with getting the orzo cooked. Ended up just cooking for longer and adding more water little by little. I also kept the heat on low after adding the broccoli to cook it through better. Added some chili flakes for a kick.

I’m just wondering if the instructions on this one could still be improved 🤔 Not entirely sold on broccoli cooking enough in warm pasta off-heat… 😅

PUL Team - Feb. 4, 2025, 4:20 p.m.

Hey Vanessa, cooking the orzo can be a bit tricky, and we appreciate your feedback on the broccoli. We've found that letting it sit off-heat works for a tender-crisp texture, but if you prefer it softer, simmering it a little longer can help. Love the chili flakes addition! 😊

Easy tasty and cozy! 🥦💕

Will definitely do it again! I had to use unsweetened almond milk, but it still tasted good. Also, vegetable bouillon cubes aren't available where I live, so I mix up bunch of spices (paprika, black pepper, curcumin, garlic, thyme, salt etc etc 😂). If anyone has a solid replace for it, I'd love to hear!

PUL Team - Dec. 27, 2024, 6:23 p.m.

Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Doğa! Your spice mix sounds like a great substitute for the bouillon cubes. Vegetable bouillon cubes and water can often be substituted for equal parts vegetable stock or broth, adding salt or other spices and herbs to taste as needed. If you're looking for something more concentrated, you could try a veggie broth paste as well 😊

amazing, very cozy for cold nights. so much protein too!

I could eat the breadcrumb mixture with a spoon.

This was super easy! A comforting dish on a fall night!

This is DELICIOUS! I added cauliflower instead of TVP and roasted that and the broccoli before adding it altogether. So yummy😋

This is soooooo goood! 10+

Easy and nutritious

Really good! Even my boyfriend who is learning about plant based food approved .. so I’ll be making it again ! :)

Really enjoyed this recipe! It was easy to make and very delicious and also looked gorgeous. I used fregola as I couldn't find orzo and it worked out perfectly! Will be making it more often for sure! 💞

PUL Team - Sept. 23, 2024, 12:17 a.m.

Thanks for taking the time to share the tip, Vanessa! So happy to hear the dish was enjoyed 🥰

Something was missing, so I decided to add garlic. It was a hit! But I'm from Poland - we add garlic to everything 🧄💕

Easy and really good. Surprising amount of flavor. So quick too. Had some green beans and snap peas that needed to be used up, så added that along with the broccoli.

My husband and I loved this recipe! He gave me a big thumbs up while munching, lol. I added zucchini with the broccoli and added a little more orzo and soy milk. For those having difficulty, I find orzo can be tricky because different brands seem to need more or less liquid, so I recommend keeping an eye on it and not being afraid to add an extra 1/4 cup as needed and stirring to keep from sticking.

The homemade breadcrumbs really made it amazing. My husband hates broccoli but didn't seem to notice it or the prehydrated TVP, so I can't sing this recipe's praises enough. It's going to become a date night staple, felt like being in a fancy restaurant to us.

PUL Team - Sept. 8, 2024, 3:15 p.m.

So glad you both loved the recipe, OnigiriGarl! Great tip about adjusting the liquid for different orzo brands, and we're thrilled the homemade breadcrumbs made it extra special 💛

I didn’t like the recipe at all but I started the wrong way : by doing it for 8 portions 😂 I think it might be unbalanced for 8 with the calculator multiplying the ingredients. Way to much PVT, not enough orzo, not enough liquid and I would have preferred the broccoli pre cooked before adding it to the pot. The result was a PVT dish with a bit of orzo and uncooked broccoli 🥴 I’ll be better at this next time 😀

PUL Team - Sept. 4, 2024, 7:27 p.m.

Hey Marion, oh no! Adjusting the portions isn't always straightforward sadly. While it's generally fine to adjust quantities for most meals, snacks, or drinks, scaling baking recipes or those with lots of water (such as this recipe) is something we typically recommend doing with caution. We will keep it in mind as we continue to evolve the app 🙂

This will definitely become a staple. Simple and delicious

Really enjoyed this recipe! Felt like it was missing black pepper so added a generous amount, but otherwise delicious and very quick and comforting:)

what can be given instead of TVP?

PUL Team - Aug. 30, 2024, 3:42 a.m.

Hey Paula, the TVP soaks up a lot of the water in this recipe. You could try with another legume like cooked beans or lentils but we'd suggest omitting the water and adding more to the desired consistency if you experiment with this 🤗

paula - Sept. 3, 2024, 11:19 p.m.

Will be seitan as good as tvp?

paula - Sept. 3, 2024, 11:26 p.m.

One more question- is soy granulate the same as tvp? Sorry, i'm a muggle :)

PUL Team - Sept. 4, 2024, 6:52 p.m.

Hey Paula, they’re lovely questions! Seitan and TVP are both nourishing plant-based protein sources, but they are quite different in terms of texture. Seitan is made from wheat gluten and has a chewy, hearty texture that works well in dishes where you want a dense, meaty bite. TVP is made from defatted soy flour, and it has a more neutral taste and a lighter, crumbled texture, which makes it great for dishes like this. If you want to swap the TVP for seitan, omit the water and possibly start with less milk and add more as needed to achieve a creamy texture.

For your second question, "soy granulate" is often another term for TVP, but some versions are already hydrated. If you see "soy granulate" in a recipe that looks like it needs to be soaked and resembles dry meat crumbles, you can use it as a substitute for TVP 😊

Creamy and filling! Very good stuff

The sauce is so yummy!!! I'm not able to give a rating yet, since I couldn't get my hands on TVP in time and had to improvise a little in other areas too. But we will be making this again soon :)
I'm gonna steam the broccoli separately next time though, to have more control over how cooked it gets

PUL Team - Aug. 29, 2024, 11:41 p.m.

Aw so glad that you enjoyed the broccoli orzo and we hope you love it with TVP :)

I mean, it was edible 😅 I’m not sure what went wrong. I feel it was wayyy too much soy milk. I had to keep adding orzo to make sure it wasn’t soup!

Could it be because I used chickpeas instead of TVP? Does that normally take in a lot of the liquid?

Also, it might be because of the changed ratio’s, but it tasted kind of bland 🙈 Even when I added more Italian spices, nutritional yeast and salt, it was not very interesting.

Won’t be making this again, unfortunately. But, you know, it was a healthy meal, so there’s that 🤣

PUL Team - Aug. 26, 2024, 8:21 p.m.

Hey Regina, thanks so much for your feedback, and we're truly sorry this recipe didn’t work out as expected. You’re absolutely right—TVP does soak up a lot of liquid, so chickpeas aren’t the best substitute. That was our oversight, and we’ve since removed chickpeas from the swap list—sorry again for any inconvenience this caused. We’ve also revisited the recipe and made some tweaks to boost the flavour. Hopefully, these changes will make a difference if you decide to give it another shot! We really appreciate your understanding and positive attitude, and we’re crossing our fingers that your next recipe is a hit! <3