This quick, one-pot, creamy braised swede orzo makes comforting and delicious midweek family dinner. Featuring humble swede, kale, peas and creamy butter beans it will have your tastebuds jumping for joy.
Swede aka rutabaga has been having a moment in our house.
In my guide on How to Cook Swede (Rutabaga) I might have mentioned that braising or slow pan roasting is my favourite way of cooking and enjoying swede.
It will never cease to amaze me that with the help of some good quality olive oil, perhaps also butter or plant butter and dutch oven style pot with a lid you can bring the best out of otherwise "uninspiring" vegetable like swede.
The result is soft, almost creamy, slightly caramelised flavour sensation. And that with some salt and pepper (and for me a touch of nutmeg) could be it, it's that good.
But I didn't stop there and so with some extra veggies, butter beans and orzo we've got ourselves a proper meal that has become one of our family favourites.
Jump to:
✔️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Great recipe not only for swede fans but especially sceptics.
- Creamy "orzotto" style pasta.
- Nutritious and family friendly dinner.
- One pot, fuss-free recipe.
- Great as a midweek meal.
- Easy to adapt to the content of your fridge and cupboards if need be.
- Perfect for vegans, vegetarians or those who'd like to try more meat-free meals.
🤔 What is orzo?
This rice shaped pasta also known as 'risoni' is the best thing since sliced bread as far as I'm concerned. It's perfect for one-pot dishes as it cooks quickly and create similar creamy consistency to risotto made with rice. You might have come across so called 'orzotto' recipes before. Anyway, if you'd like to find out more about orzo you can read about it here.
🛒 Ingredients for making Creamy Braised Swede Orzo
Here's what you will need to make my Creamy Braised Swede Orzo:
Orzo - As it is now widely available in supermarkets and as this dish is specifically tested with orzo and not any other type of pasta, I would suggest you stick with it.
Swede/Rutabaga - My vegetable of choice here which when braised slowly as suggested develops amazing flavour. However, out of season this creamy orzo will work well with any type of squash or even sweet potatoes (although braising time will be reduced as they cook quicker).
Butter Beans - I love jarred butter beans but canned beans will work as well (use 2 tins). I would recommend using organic tinned beans without salt as that will allow you to use the liquid as well. The liquid from jarred beans is beautifully seasoned but not too salty hence using it here.
If you prefer draining and rinsing your tinned beans (or you're not using organic ones) you might need to use a bit more water/stock when cooking.
Also chickpeas or cannellini beans (white kidney beans) could be used as a substitute.
Onions and garlic - Flavour. Feel free to use shallots or red onions if you prefer.
Kale - Use any greens you've got to hand, perhaps winter cabbage or cavolo nero. Spinach will also work well here. However, as it doesn't require any cooking, simply add it at the same time as frozen peas just to wilt.
Frozen Peas - Everyone's favourites.
Nutmeg - I find it goes beautifully with swede but you could use cumin or smoked paprika instead. I wouldn't use nutmeg if you're using squash instead of swede. Smoked paprika would be my preferred spice in such instance.
Chilli Flakes - Completely optional but I find a gentle heat really works well. I like to use Aleppo pepper (aka pul biber) but any other chilli flakes will work fine too.
Fresh Dill - Personal preference but fresh parsley would work as a garnish too. If you'd like to leave it out you could use some fresh sage or rosemary instead. I would add these two at the same time as garlic and spices.
Olive Oil + Butter (or Plant Butter) - I like using both olive oil and plant butter for extra flavour when braising but you could use olive oil alone if you'd rather.
***Quick Tip*** I wouldn't recommend using butter or plant butter alone without the oil as it's prone to burning due to high water content.
Vegetable Stock - Homemade, stock cube or bouillon are all fine. Be aware of saltiness of your stock and adjust seasoning accordingly.
🔪 How to make Creamy Braised Swede Orzo
Ingredient quantities & detailed instructions to be found in recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step 1: Place a large pot with a lid on a medium heat and add olive oil and butter or plant butter (if using). Once warm add sliced onions, cubed swede and generous pinch of salt. Give it all a good mix to coat veggies in oil, cover with a lid and cook for about 15-25 minutes until soft , stirring frequently.
Step 2: Add garlic and spices and cook for another couple of minutes.
Step 3: Next, add orzo, butter beans with a liquid and stock. Give it all a good mix. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down to simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes or so stirring often as orzo has tendency to stick to the bottom of the pan.
Step 4: Once orzo is almost done (it will starts to thicken and become creamy but you can still give it a little taste) add chopped kale and stir it in. Let it cook for a couple of minutes before adding frozen peas and letting them cook for another couple of minutes.
Step 5: Stir in chopped dill and give the orzo one last taste adjusting seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
Step 6: Let the orzo stand for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
🥡 Storing Creamy Braised Swede Orzo
Store: Creamy orzo is best eaten straight away but any leftovers can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days. As it cools down you will notice orzo will become less creamy and very much more like "big lump of pasta". It simply soaks up all the moisture as it cools which is what pasta does. See how to best reheat it below ⬇️.
Reheat: This lovely orzo dish will need some extra moisture as you reheat it so gradually add some water or stock to the pan and mix it in gently until creamy once again.
Personally, I like to reheat it in a pan on the stove but you could also use a microwave. Make sure to use microwave friendly container and add extra liquid bit by bit, stirring it in and giving it half a minute or so and checking again until hot and creamy.
***Quick Tip*** You could use some coconut milk instead of water/stock when reheating for extra creaminess.
Freeze: Although it technically can be frozen, personally I wouldn't recommend it on this occasion. Although it will still be tasty it will most likely get pretty mushy as well.
💭 Pro Tips
Don't get put off by the time it takes to braise the swede. I promise it is worth it.
Jarred beans make such a difference so use them if you can. In the UK look out for Bold Bean Co which you can now get in most supermarkets and they're often on offer as well.
Make sure to adjust the amount of liquid and timings as you cook as needed as with best intentions they might differ slightly depending on the exact quantities, pan used, heat source etc.
Also taste, taste, taste to make sure you're happy with the amount of seasoning.
Orzo is great for one-pot pasta dishes but it is also notorious for sticking to the bottom of the pan so almost constant supervision and frequent stirring are paramount. Thankfully, it also cooks quickly so you won't have to babysit it for too long.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Swede orzo is perfectly fine as is. Feel free to sprinkle over some vegetarian parmesan or my vegan parmesan (aka flavour sprinkle) but other than that you're all set. Enjoy!
Actually, just one more thing. You might want to make my garlic flatbread as a little accompaniment (recipe coming soon). Just a thought.
Have you tried my Creamy Braised Swede Orzo?
Please consider giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in recipe card below and share your views or tips in the comments.
❓ FAQ
This recipe was created especially for orzo and I haven't tested it with any other pasta so timings/the amount of stock etc. might differ.
I use my old and trusty Le Creuset Signature Enamelled Cast Iron Round Casserole Dish With Lid, 26 cm, 5.3 Litre (Meringue).
I've had it for over 20 years now and use it all the time. It is an investment but for me it's been worth it. Also, it's a perfect family sized pot.
📋 Recipe
Creamy Braised Swede Orzo
Equipment
- Large Chef's Knife
Ingredients
- 900 g swede peeled and cut into small cubes, the smaller the cubes the quicker they cook
- 150 g onions or shallots peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
- 300 g orzo pasta
- 40 g butter or plant butter for braising
- 3 tablespoon olive oil I use extra virign olive oil here
- 1 570g jar of butter beans (with liquid) or use 2 x 400g (15oz in the US) tins of butter beans; see notes; you can also use chickpeas or cannellini beans instead
- 100-150 g chopped kale or any other greens of choice
- 100 g frozen peas
- ½ teaspoon (heaped) ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon Pul Biber (Aleppo Pepper) chilli flakes or any other chilli flakes
- 20 g bunch of fresh dill chopped
- 1 ltr vegetable stock more might be needed as you cook
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare all of the ingredients as per above.
- Place a large pot with a lid on a medium heat and add olive oil and butter or plant butter (if using). Once warm add sliced onions, cubed swede and generous pinch of salt. Give it all a good mix to coat veggies in oil, cover with a lid and cook for about 15-25 minutes until soft , stirring frequently.900 g swede, 40 g butter or plant butter, 3 tablespoon olive oil, 150 g onions or shallots
- Add garlic and spices and cook for another couple of minutes.3 garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon (heaped) ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon Pul Biber (Aleppo Pepper) chilli flakes
- Next, add orzo, butter beans with a liquid and stock. Give it all a good mix. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down to simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes or so stirring often as orzo has tendency to stick to the bottom of the pan.300 g orzo pasta, 1 570g jar of butter beans (with liquid), 1 ltr vegetable stock
- Once orzo is almost done (it will starts to thicken and become creamy but you can still give it a little taste to check for doneness) add chopped kale and stir it in. Let it cook for a couple of minutes before adding frozen peas and letting them cook for another couple of minutes.100-150 g chopped kale, 100 g frozen peas
- Stir in chopped dill and give the orzo one last taste adjusting seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.salt and pepper, 20 g bunch of fresh dill
- Let the orzo stand for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Nutritional information is approximate, per serving (based on 6 servings) and should be treated as a rough guideline only.
- I like using both olive oil and plant butter for extra flavour when braising but you could use olive oil alone if you'd rather.
- If using tinned beans I would recommend using organic ones without salt as that will allow you to use the liquid as well (the liquid from jarred beans is seasoned but not too salty hence using it here).
If you prefer draining and rinsing your tinned beans (or you're not using organic ones) you might need to use a bit more water/stock when cooking. - Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. I wouldn't recommend freezing.
- For more information regarding ingredients, substitutions, reheating etc. refer to the post above.
Comments
No Comments