This grilled veggie orzo dish will be your new spring and summer BFF! This simple dinner was so easy to make on a Monday night and always comes together so well! This is a very simple concept that will be the perfect addition to your weeknight (or any night!) dinner repertoire.
It’s super easy…here’s a breakdown of the components:
A bunch of seasoned and grilled veggies of your choice – there is no right or wrong here – you can pretty much throw whatever vegetables you have and love on the grill. I use a gas grill for this, but a charcoal grill would work just as well. The way you grill the veggies will vary, you can use foil, but the key to getting that charred and delicious grill flavor is to use a good grilling pan. I use this one here and it’s perfect.
Perfectly cooked orzo (9 minutes is key!).
A flavorful vinaigrette to drizzle over and toss the orzo in.
Perfectly grilled shrimp.
That’s it! This dish is loaded with so much flavor and everyone in my house gobbled it up. It should be dinner tonight!
INGREDIENTS
1 pound orzo pasta
Veggies of choice – I used:
12 ounces shiitake mushrooms
1 large red onion, chopped
12 asparagus spears, chopped
2 medium zucchini squash, cut into rounds or spears
Avocado oil for drizzling
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, “Badia Complete” seasoning, crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning and dried parsley for sprinkling
Zesty Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
Salt and pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
2 tablespoons fresh chopped scallions
½ cup avocado oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
Grilled Shrimp
1/2 pound shrimp, deveined – you can also peel, but I like to keep the peel on my shrimp when grilling
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons Grill Mates Butter Garlic Seasoning
Salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the orzo according to the package directions - usually around 9 minutes for al dente. Allow to drain well and toss with a spoonful of olive oil so the pasta doesn’t stick together.
Add the chopped veggies to a large bowl and toss with avocado oil (or olive oil) Season up the veggies. You can really use any seasonings of your choice here. I like to use salt, pepper and Badia “complete” seasoning – which has garlic powder, onion, powder, and dried herbs. Depending on how many veggies you have, you may need 2 grill baskets/trays to grill them up.
To another bowl, add your shrimp and coat with avocado oil. Add in the freshly squeezed lime juice, butter garlic seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix well to combine. Grill for about 3-4 minutes per side. Set aside.
Place the vegetables in the grill pan and put on your hot grill. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes total, tossing and turning them every few minutes. The length of time will depend on how small you cut your veggies up, so be sure to keep an eye on them. I check every 5 minutes or so. Once the vegetables are done, remove from the grill and set aside.
In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, pepper, chopped dill and scallions. Whisk the avocado olive oil into the dressing until combined. You can always double this batch /or make this ahead of time and store it in the fridge. It will separate but whisking or shaking will bring it back together.
Add the orzo to a large bowl. Pour on the zesty vinaigrette and toss well to coat. Sprinkle in some Italian seasoning. dried parsley and taste for salt. Adjust seasonings if needed. You can add in exrtra fresh dill or chives if you wish.
On a large serving platter, add the orzo as the base. Pile on the freshly grilled and delicious veggies. Add the shrimp to the platter and either serve immediately, or keep it in the fridge until you are ready to serve. You can make this up to 12 hours ahead of time. Leftovers are also amazing! Perfect for work lunch the next day. ☺️
Enjoy! Let me know if you give this a try.
