• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Simple Vegan Recipes
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Vegan Recipes
  • Get the vegan starter guide!
  • YouTube
  • Podcast
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Simple Vegan Recipes » Casseroles

    Easy Pumpkin Baked Orzo with Kale, Carrots, & White Beans

    Published: Sep 30, 2022 by Becky Striepe · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Recipe Print
    bowl of vegan orzo in pumpkin sauce topped with pumpkin seeds
    bowl of vegan orzo in pumpkin sauce topped with pumpkin seeds, text overlay
    baked orzo and sauce in the pan, text overlay
    image collage showing cooked aromatics, the pan with ingredients added before, during, and after mixing

    No one needs to know how easy this creamy, pumpkin-y vegan orzo recipe is. You can serve this one-pot entree on a busy weeknight or at the holiday table.

    bowl of vegan orzo in pumpkin sauce topped with pumpkin seeds
    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this baked orzo
    • Recipe notes
    • Substitutions
    • Storage directions
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Frequently asked questions

    Why you'll love this baked orzo

    Don't you love an easy recipe that's easy to make but doesn't taste like it was easy to make? This vegan orzo bake with pumpkin and sage is one of those dishes. It's rich and flavorful but requires very little active cooking.

    It's easy enough fall dinner to make on a Tuesday after work when standing in the kitchen isn't your top priority. But it's also special enough that you can totally serve it up at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.

    With all the time you saved, you'll have supper on the table a lot faster. So while your orzo casserole bakes, kick back and unwind from the workday.

    If you're making this for a holiday dish, you just bought yourself more time to work on other dishes or to hang with your family and friends -- whichever appeals to you most!

    Recipe notes

    Since you're not cooking a ton of pasta, you can cook the orzo and canned white beans together right in your Dutch oven. The same Dutch oven you use to bake.

    orzo, beans, veggies, pumpkin, and sage in the pan next to a measuring cup of non-dairy milk, text labels on each ingredient

    That means just one pot to clean up after dinner!

    After you boil the pasta and beans, pour them into a colander to drain, then sauté onion, garlic, and carrots until the onions turn translucent. Then, add the kale and cook for just a few more minutes.

    Now, it's time to make the sauce! To the same pan, add canned pumpkin, non-dairy milk, dried sage, salt, and pepper. Stir this together until the pumpkin dissolves, then taste and adjust the seasoning.

    Then, you're ready to bake! Baking thickens up the sauce and makes this dish even cozier.

    Just before serving, sprinkle on some pumpkin seeds for crunch.

    image collage showing cooked aromatics, the pan with ingredients added before, during, and after mixing

    Substitutions

    In place of the white beans, you can use drained kidney beans or chickpeas.

    Don't want to use canned pumpkin? Substitute 1 ¾ cups of pumpkin puree or other cooked and pureed winter squash.

    It's fine to omit the pumpkin seeds. You can also replace them with French fried onions or other nuts or seeds of your choice. Pecans are a great substitution!

    Storage directions

    Leftover baked orzo will keep for 3-5 days in the refrigerator. To reheat, just pop a bowlful into the microwave.

    📖 Recipe

    bowl of vegan orzo in pumpkin sauce topped with pumpkin seeds

    One-Pot Vegan Orzo Recipe

    No one needs to know how easy this creamy, pumpkin-y vegan orzo recipe is. You can serve this one-pot entree on a busy weeknight or at the holiday table.
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Vegan
    Keyword: baked orzo, pumpkin orzo
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 243kcal
    Author: Becky Striepe

    Ingredients

    • 1 ⅓ cup dry orzo
    • 1 15 ounce can white beans - drained and rinsed
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 1 cup diced sweet onion
    • 1 cup shredded carrots
    • 6 cloves garlic - minced
    • 2 cups kale - chopped super fine in a blender or food processor
    • 1 15 ounce can pumpkin
    • ⅓ cup soy milk - You can also use almond or oat milk.
    • 1 teaspoon dried sage
    • salt and pepper - to taste
    • roasted, salted pumpkin seeds - optional

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350F.
    • Bring 6 cups of water to a rolling boil. Add the orzo and beans, and cook, stirring often, for 8-9 minutes, until the orzo is tender. Drain and rinse.
    • Heat the oil in a Dutch oven on medium high. Sauté the onion, carrots, and garlic until the onions begin to soften, 5-7 minutes. Add the kale and cook a few more minutes to soften.
    • Turn off the heat, and stir in the orzo and beans, pumpkin, vegan milk, and sage. Stir really well, so everything is nice and incorporated. Taste, then season with salt and pepper.
    • Bake for 30 minutes, uncovered, then top with the pumpkin seeds (if you’re using them), and serve.

    Notes

    Leftovers will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge in a covered container. To reheat, pop a bowlful into the microwave.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    One-Pot Vegan Orzo Recipe
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    243
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    11
    g
    17
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    2
    g
    10
    %
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    2
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    7
    g
    Sodium
     
    37
    mg
    2
    %
    Potassium
     
    272
    mg
    8
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    30
    g
    10
    %
    Fiber
     
    3
    g
    12
    %
    Sugar
     
    4
    g
    4
    %
    Protein
     
    6
    g
    12
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    5862
    IU
    117
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    24
    mg
    29
    %
    Calcium
     
    95
    mg
    10
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe? Share your photo!Mention @GlueAndGlitter on Instagram or Twitter!

    Frequently asked questions

    What is orzo?

    Orzo may look like rice, but it's actually pasta. The two are not interchangeable.

    Orzo cooks up a lot faster than rice. White rice takes about 15-20 minutes on the stovetop, while orzo cooks up in under 10.

    Orzo and rice also have very different textures. While rice has a pretty firm texture after cooking, orzo has the same tenderness you'd expect from other small pastas, like macaroni. That texture makes it lovely in casseroles, like this baked orzo recipe!

    Does orzo contain dairy?

    It doesn't! Orzo, like most pastas, is egg- and dairy-free. It's totally vegan as-is.

    About Becky Striepe

    Headshot of Becky Striepe in front of a teal wall

    Hi there! I'm Becky Striepe (rhymes with sleepy), and I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here.

    Learn more about me >>>

    Reader Interactions

    Got a question? Tried this recipe? Leave a reply! Cancel reply

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

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    About Me

    photo of Becky Striepe
    Hi! My name is Becky Striepe (rhymes with “sleepy”). I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here. → READ MORE

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    As Seen On: Buzzfeed, How Stuff Works, Parade Magazine, Follow Your Kind Podcast, Peta, Curiously Veg Radio, Shape Magazine

    About

    • About Becky Striepe
    • Privacy Policy
    • About the Ads
    • Video Blogging FAQ

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Trending now

    • glass jar of soy yogurt on a blue table with the Instant Pot in the background
    • photo of vegan spinach artichoke dip in the baking pan. A hand is dipping a cracker into the pan.
    • overhead photo of air fryer tofu in a blue bowl with green onions sprinkled on top

    Copyright Notice

    All content Copyright © Glue & Glitter/Cattington Inc. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. You may post a short excerpt and/or one photo, as long as you provide clear credit and a link back to the original recipe or tutorial post at glueandglitter.com. Please do not repost recipes in full without my express permission.

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Glue & Glitter