The other night my husband and I were trying to come up with an unusual side dish to pair with a brisket I had cooking in the crockpot and this dish was born.
We wanted something flavorful and bright that could be a little acidic to go with the rich brisket.
This was a hit. It takes a little time, but it’s easy and the result is crazy delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 Tbsp Olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper diced or 3-4 small bell peppers sliced into small rings
- 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 sliced red onion (OPTIONAL)
- 1 cup Orzo
- 32 ounces of chicken stock (use veggie stock if you’re vegetarian)
- 2 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning (use your favorite-I use the kind that comes in a grinder)
- 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh chives, chopped
- 1 container of fresh baby spinach
- Zest of 3-4 lemons, juice of 1 lemon
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onion and peppers until the onion is softened but not all the way cooked.
- Add the garlic, cook until fragrant (only 1-2 minutes).
- Stir in the orzo to toast it in the pan. (About 5 minutes) At this point you may want to add a splash more olive oil IF needed. Also add the red onion.
- Season with half the Italian seasoning. Keep stirring.
- Add 2 cups of the chicken broth. Let it simmer until the broth is absorbed by the orzo. Stir in the zest and juice of 1 lemon. Add 2 more cups of broth, stirring and simmering until all the broth is absorbed. I used the entire box of broth.
- Stir in more Italian seasoning
- Off the heat, stir in the fresh spinach, dill, chives and the rest of the lemon zest.
