Lemon & Garlic Tempeh with Pesto Orzo
Salads don’t have to be boring. They can also pack a big nutritional punch and be the main event. This garlic and lemon tempeh salad with pesto orzo is full of fresh flavours, packed with vitamins & minerals and is anything but boring.
Ingredients
Salad ingredients:
- 250 g dry orzo (1 cup)
- ½ cucumber
- 1 medium avocado
- 200 g green French beans (7oz)
- Large handful of spinach
- Salt & pepper
Pesto ingredients:
- 70 g toasted pine nuts (½ cup)
- Large bunch of basil
- Juice of a lemon
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp sea salt and some black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp water
Tempeh ingredients:
- 200 g block tempeh (7oz)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cook the orzo as per packet instructions, drain and then set aside. It should only take about 8-10 minutes.
- At the same time, cook the beans and run under cold water to cool. Add to a large serving bowl. Chop the cucumber, avocado and spinach into bite-sized pieces and add to the bowl. Once the orzo is cooked add this too. Season well and toss to mix.
- Put all the pesto ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth. If you want it slightly runnier, add more water.
- Slice the tempeh into thin triangles, season with lots of salt pepper and the garlic powder. Add the oil to a griddle pan and fry on each side for 3-4 mins. For the last minute of cooking drizzle over the lemon juice and maple syrup.
- Pour the pesto over the salad and mix well. Top with the tempeh.
Notes
- Tofu can be used in place of tempeh.
- If you are gluten-free, and don’t want to use orzo, you can use rice or quinoa instead.
- I used basil in the pesto, but coriander would also work well.
Nutrition
Calories: 590kcalCarbohydrates: 49.4gProtein: 19.8gFat: 31.1gSaturated Fat: 4gFiber: 8.3g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!