I’ve made this salad from the cookbook Super Natural Everyday a few times now. I love how this recipe doesn’t need a lot of time to prepare it so it’s prefect for a busy day. Served with some fresh garlic bread, it’s even more perfect for my family. I used sour cream instead of creme fraiche because I can’t find the latter here and didn’t think ahead to make it.

Broccoli Pesto Orzo Salad

Broccoli Pesto Orzo Salad

  • Salt
  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat Orzo
  • 5 cups Broccoli, cut into small florets and stems
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 2/3 cup Pine Nuts, carefully toasted
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
  • juice from 1 Lemon
  • 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/4 cup Creme Fraiche
  • zest from 1 Lemon
  • 1 Avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt generously, add the orzo and cook according to the package instructions. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain well again.
  2. In the meantime, cook the broccoli by bring 3/4 cup of water to a boil in a large pot. Add a big pinch of salt and stir in the broccoli. Cover and cook for 1 minute, just long enough to take off the raw edge. Quickly drain the broccoli in a strainer and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well and set aside.
  3. To made the pesto, process the garlic in a food processor for a couple pulses. Add 2 cups of the cooked broccoli, pine nuts, parmesan, 1/4 tsp salt and 2 tbsp of the lemon juice and pulse to combine. Drizzle the olive oil and creme fraiche and process until smooth.
  4. Just before serving, toss the orzo and remaining cooked broccoli florets with about two thirds of the broccoli pesto and the lemon zest. Thin with a bit of warm water if you like. Taste and adjust if needed. You may want to add a little more salt or lemon juice, or pesto. Gently fold in the avocado and top with remaining pine nuts.

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