• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Vegan Huggs
  • Home
  • Search
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Sign up!
  • Contact Me
  • Privacy Policy
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Me
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • Contact Me
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » All Recipes » Dinner

    One Pot Tomato Orzo Recipe

    February 5, 2022 By Melissa Huggins / 77 Comments

    This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

    Jump to Recipe

    This easy One Pot Tomato Orzo Recipe is perfect for busy weeknight meals. It's flavorful, satisfying, and it's ready in 30 minutes or less! Your family will love it! 

    Overhead view of fully cooked tomato orzo in q white bowl.

    Life is busy and most of us are looking for quick, easy, and filling meals to feed our families. However, that doesn't mean we have to sacrifice taste.

    Simple meals can be full of flavor! This One-Pot Tomato Orzo Recipe fits the bill and will make your weeknight complete.

    Plus, it'll be on your table in no time! I don't like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so I'm a big fan of 30-minute meals. They're anything, but boring!

    We get to enjoy Portobello Vegan Fajitas, Hearty Soups, Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta, Salads, Mac n' Cheese, and many one-pot meals.

    Is orzo rice or pasta?

    Orzo looks like rice, but it's actually wheat-based pasta that is shaped like rice. So, you can't interchange them in many recipes because they cook up differently.

    Ingredients to make the recipe on a stone table top.

    Ingredients needed for Tomato Orzo

    • The star of the show is the Orzo!
    • For the base, you'll need Olive Oil, Garlic, Dried Oregano, Crushed Red Pepper, and White Wine.
    • To make the sauce, you'll need Diced Tomatoes, Vegetable Broth, and Salt.
    • Finish with Capers and Fresh Basil or Parsley. That's it!
    Six process photos of cooking orzo in a pan.

    How to make Tomato Orzo in One Pot

    1. Heat oil in a large skillet/pot over medium heat. Add garlic, oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes. Sauté until garlic is lightly golden.
    2. Add the orzo and stir to coat. Give the orzo a few minutes to lightly toast. Stir occasionally.
    3. Pour in the wine and cook until the liquid mostly cooks off.
    4. Now add the diced tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes.
    5. Add the broth and salt. Cover and gently simmer until liquid has mostly cooked down and orzo is tender. Uncover the last few minutes of cook time.
    6. Remove from heat and stir in the capers and fresh basil. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed. Let the orzo sit uncovered for 1-2 minutes. This will give it time to thicken up.
    Overhead view of two white bowls filled with tomato orzo. Topped with fresh basil.

    Success Tips

    • To make this kid-friendly, reduce or omit the crushed red pepper.
    • The wine can be omitted if you don't have it - just skip the step entirely.
    • Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
    • Don't simmer too high or the liquid will cook down before the orzo is finished cooking.

    Serving Ideas

    Tomato Orzo goes well with Vegan Caesar Salad, a big piece of Artisan Bread, and a glass of white wine. Top it with Vegan Parmesan, fresh-cracked pepper, and more fresh basil or parsley.

    two bowls of tomato orzo with a fork in one bowl. Fresh parsley on the side.

    More one-pot meals to enjoy

    • One Pan Mexican Quinoa
    • Easy Vegan Chickpea Curry
    • Sopa De Fideo

    Did you make this recipe? Let me know what you think by leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  rating and sharing your feedback in the comment section below. It would make my day!

    ⭐️ Subscribe to the Vegan Huggs Newsletter and receive weekly recipes straight to your inbox! You'll also receive my FREE eCookbook featuring my top 10 recipes. 

    Recipe

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
    5 from 62 votes

    One Pot Tomato Orzo Recipe

    This easy One-Pot Basil and Tomato Orzo Recipe is perfect for busy weeknight meals. It's flavorful, satisfying, and it's ready in 30 minutes or less!
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time20 minutes mins
    Total Time30 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian, Vegan
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 342kcal
    Author: Melissa Huggins

    Ingredients

    • 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
    • 4-5 cloves garlic , minced
    • ¾ teaspoon oregano
    • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
    • ½ teaspoon salt , more to taste
    • 1 ½ cups orzo pasta , uncooked
    • ½ cup dry white wine
    • 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes , canned
    • 2 ½ cups vegetable broth , low sodium
    • 3 tablespoons capers
    • ½ cup fresh basil , chopped (sub with parsley)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper flakes. Sauté for 1 minute until garlic is light golden brown.
    • Add the orzo and stir to coat well. Cook for 1-2 minutes to lightly toast the orzo and incorporate flavors. Move around occasionally to prevent sticking. 
    • Pour in the white wine and cook until the liquid mostly cooks down. About 1-2 minutes.
    • Now add the diced tomatoes (with juices) and simmer for 2-3 minutes. 
    • Add the vegetable broth and salt. Turn heat up to get it boiling. Once boiling, turn heat down to maintain a low simmer. Cover and cook for 7-10 minutes or until liquid has mostly cooked down and orzo is tender. Stir often to prevent sticking and uncover the last few minutes of cook time. 
    • Remove from heat and add the capers and fresh basil. Stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed. Let the orzo sit uncovered for 1-2 minutes. This will give it time to thicken up. Serve with vegan parmesan and fresh-cracked pepper. Enjoy!

    Video

    Notes

    1. The wine can be omitted if you don't have it on hand. Just skip the step entirely. If you need to deglaze the pan a bit while the orzo is toasting, just splash a little bit of vegetable broth in the pan.
    2. To make this recipe kid-friendly, omit the crushed red pepper. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1(1 ½ cups) | Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 410mg | Potassium: 294mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 160IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1.6mg
    Tried this recipe?Follow me @veganhuggs and mention #veganhuggs!

    Vegan Huggs Weekly Newsletter

    Receive the tastiest vegan recipes straight to your inbox! Join now and get my Fan Favorites ebook FREE!

    More Vegan Dinner Recipes

    • a bowl of vegan chickpea curry with rice on the side.
      Easy Vegan Chickpea Curry
    • portobello vegan fajitas on a plate.
      Portobello Vegan Fajitas
    • a bowl of lemon chickpea orzo soup with a spoon on the side.
      Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup
    • gochujang chickpeas in a white bowl.
      Creamy Gochujang Chickpeas and Lentils
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Yummly
    melissa

    About Melissa

    I’m Melissa Huggins – the creator of Vegan Huggs. I started this blog to share delicious vegan recipes that everyone will love. Yep, that includes carnivores, too! Read more...

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 62 votes (35 ratings without comment)

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Christy

      April 19, 2025 at 10:58 am

      Trying this and your chickpea loaf and roasted veggies for Easter. Thanks for posting. I will comment after making.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        May 05, 2025 at 3:16 pm

        You're most welcome, Christy! I'd love to hear how everything turned out for Easter. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Olivia

      January 08, 2025 at 1:28 am

      5 stars
      Loved this! Easy, fast and delicious. Perfect for a busy weekday. I sprinkled the orzo with roasted pinenuts and added sauteed kale as a sidedish.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        May 06, 2025 at 12:19 pm

        I'm so glad it was a hit with everyone! Sounds perfect with the pine nuts and kale. Thank you for sharing feedback. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Hilda Tanguay

      November 04, 2024 at 11:25 pm

      5 stars
      This was delicious! I jazzed it up by adding a diced onion in with the garlic, oregano and crushed red peppers. I only had a 28 Oz can of diced tomatoes so I used the whole can and just used about 1 cup of water and a tablespoon of tomato paste, just to give it a little more tomato taste and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar as I didn't have capers or white wine. It was fabulous! Will definitely make again.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        May 06, 2025 at 4:44 pm

        I'm so glad you loved it, Hilda! Thank you for sharing your modifications and feedback. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Tanya

      January 21, 2024 at 1:29 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing! Only changes I made was adding half a diced onion and browning before adding rest of ingredients. Also added green olives since I didn't have capers. It was perfectly delicious!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        January 25, 2024 at 10:40 am

        Hi Tanya, I'm so happy you loved the recipe! Thank you for trying it and sharing your modifications too! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Lynn

      September 12, 2023 at 6:14 pm

      5 stars
      I made this recipe a few nights ago for a friend who was visiting from out of town. The result was absolutely amazing. The flavor was so delicious. I made the recipe exactly as written. I did not use vegan cheese, but it did not matter. It was sooooo good.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        October 10, 2023 at 11:55 am

        Hi Lynn, I'm so happy you loved the recipe. It's a favorite of mine too. Thanks you for trying it and sharing your feedback. 🙂

        Reply
    6. Lisa

      May 25, 2023 at 6:51 am

      5 stars
      This dish was easy and delicious! I will definitely make it again :). I added white beans and spinach and cut back the capers to one tablespoon. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        July 22, 2023 at 10:06 am

        So happy you loved it, Lisa. Sounds perfect with the white beans and spinach. Thank you for trying it and sharing your feedback.

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Primary Sidebar

    I’m Melissa Huggins – the creator of Vegan Huggs. I started this blog to share delicious vegan recipes that everyone will love. Yep, that includes carnivores, too!

    More about me →

    • vegan huggs facebook
    • vegan huggs Instagram.
    • vegan huggs pinterest
    • YouTube

    My Most Popular

    • Vegan crab cakes on a white serving plate. Topped with tartar sauce, green onion and paprika.
      Vegan Crab Cakes
    • One slice of vegan quiche on a white plate. Tomatoes in a bowl on the side with full quiche.
      Easy Vegan Quiche
    • closeup view of sesame cauliflower in a bowl.
      Sticky Sesame Cauliflower
    • Horizontal photo of two bowls of vegan potato leek soup.
      Creamy Vegan Potato Leek Soup
    • vegan-cauliflower-casserole-6a-340x340.jpg
      Cheesy Vegan Cauliflower Casserole
    • overhead view of two portobello mushroom steaks on a white plate. Asparagus and potatoes on the side.
      Grilled Portobello Mushroom Steaks

    Footer

    SEEN ON

    ^ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Recipe Index

    Newsletter

    Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Subscribe

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2020 Vegan Huggs

    We use cookies to ensure that you have the best experience possible on our website. By continuing on the site you agree to the use of your cookies by www.veganhuggs.com

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.