Vegan Winter Orzo Salad with Chickpeas and Kale

Name: Vegan Winter Orzo Salad with Chickpeas and Kale
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 carrots or 4 small carrots - roughly chopped; 1 green bell pepper - roughly chopped; 1 small head cauliflower - cut or ripped into small florets; 1 tbsp oil; 1 tsp salt; black pepper to taste; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp paprika; ½ cup unsweetened vegan yogurt (I like coconut, if you're not vegan greek works); ¼ cup olive oil; juice from ½ lemon; 1 garlic clove - minced; salt/pepper to taste; ¼ cup dill - finely chopped; 1 cup dried orzo - cooked; 1 can chickpeas - drained; 1 head kale - ribbed and cut into tiny pieces; ¼ cup hemp seeds (optional for additional protein); ~3.5 ounce jar capers - drained (sun-dried tomatoes would be a good sub)

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I will be honest, now that I live in Austin winters are not so bad. Like it is 70-80 degrees most days. However, I still get to take advantage of delicious late fall and winter produce. This Vegan Winter Orzo Salad with Chickpeas and Kale is a fun salad to make in the winter because it takes advantage of all the delicious winter produce.

Vegan Winter Orzo Salad with Chickpeas and Kale

I got all of the produce for this salad from my local farmers market, so all of it is in season right now. This salad uses a combination of roasted peppers, cauliflower and carrots - yum. For the protein aspect we have chickpeas in this salad which I chose not to roast for texture reasons. Then, the dressing is an amazing tangy yogurt sauce. I added in kale for some extra greens and capers for some tang.

This salad has mediterranean vibes, but is cozy enough for chilly days. I personally am obsessed with this recipe, I had made it multiple times already and my non vegan boyfriend approves!

Let's get into the recipe.

Why you'll love this recipe

It is gluten free, dairy free, egg free and plant based.
Thanks to the chickpeas it is high in protein.
It is easy to make.
Since it won't get soggy it is perfect for meal prep.

Ingredients for high protein vegan orzo salad

orzo
carrots
cauliflower
bell pepper
dill
yogurt
lemon
olive oil
salt
pepper
garlic
paprika
garlic powder
hemp seeds

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions for winter orzo salad with lemon dill yogurt sauce

Step 1: Add veggies to sheet pan and toss in spices. Roast for 30 minutes.

Step 2: Make your yogurt sauce.

Step 3: Toss together salad ingredients and serve!

Substitutions

Chickpeas- can be subbed with white beans
Cauliflower- can be subbed with broccoli
Carrots - Can be subbed with squash or sweet potato

Equipment

You just need a sheet pan and your oven for this recipe.

Storage instructions for orzo salad with roasted carrots and cauliflower

The leftover salad can be stored in a sealed container in your fridge for up to 4 days.

Recipe FAQ

How is orzo different from pasta?

Orzo is just pasta that is shaped like rice.

Is orzo healthier than rice?

Both are healthy options, orzo does have a higher fiber and protein content than rice.

Recipe Pro-Tips

If you want to bump up the protein in this recipe use greek yogurt instead of vegan yogurt.

My favorite ever vegan yogurt is Cocojune. It tastes amazing in savory sauces and most grocery stores carry it.

Other vegan salads to try

If you make this Vegan Winter Orzo Salad with Chickpeas and Kale, please leave me a rating and review on this blog post. This is the best way to support me!

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