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Super Green Chicken Pesto Orzo Salad
Super Green Chicken Pesto Orzo Salad

Super Green Chicken Pesto Orzo Salad

with Courgette, Peas, Lemon and Cheese

Recipe Development Team
Recipe Development TeamPublished on December 23, 2024

Not to be confused with rice, orzo is actually a type of pasta. This Super Green Chicken Pesto Orzo Salad is ready in less than 25 minutes, packed with chicken breast and plenty of green veg for a vibrant dinner.

Allergens:
Cereals containing gluten
Milk
Egg

The quantities provided above are averages only.

Boxes and ingredients are packed in facilities that handles Peanut, Nuts, Sesame, Fish, Crustaceans, Milk, Egg, Mustard, Celery, Soya, Gluten and Sulphites. Due to the war in Ukraine, it has been necessary to substitute sunflower oil with rapeseed oil in some products without a label change. The FSA have advised that allergic reactions to rapeseed oil are rare.

Total20 minutes
Active 25 minutes
DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

serving amount

180 grams

Orzo

(Contains: Cereals containing gluten)

2 unit(s)

Garlic Clove**

1 unit(s)

Courgette

(May contain traces of: Celery)

1 unit(s)

Lemon

120 grams

Peas

1 sachet(s)

Mixed Herbs

64 grams

Pesto

(Contains: Milk)

20 grams

Grated Hard Italian Style Cheese

(Contains: Milk, Egg)

20 grams

Wild Rocket

1 pinch

Chilli Flakes

240 grams

Diced British Chicken Breast

Not included in your delivery

½ tsp

Sugar

1 tbsp

Olive Oil for the Dressing

Nutritional information

Energy (kJ)3230 kJ
Energy (kcal)772 kcal
Fat25.7 g
of which saturates5.9 g
Carbohydrate82 g
of which sugars13.1 g
Dietary Fibre8.5 g
Protein52.8 g
Salt1.5 g
Potassium163 mg
Calcium141 mg
Iron1.5 mg
Always refer to the product label for the most accurate ingredient and allergen information.

Utensils

Kettle
Large Saucepan
Zester
Garlic Press
Large Frying Pan
Large Bowl
Sieve

Cooking Instructions and Tips

Boil the Orzo
1

a) Boil a half-full kettle.

b) Pour the boiled water into a large saucepan with 1/2 tsp salt on high heat.

c) When boiling, add the orzo to the water and bring back to the boil.

d) Cook until tender, 10 mins. 

Prep Time
2

a) While the orzo cooks, peel and grate the garlic (or use a garlic press).

b) Trim the courgette, then halve lengthways. Slice widthways into 1cm thick pieces.

c) Zest and cut the lemon into wedges.

Char the Courgette
3

a) Heat a drizzle of oil in a large frying pan on medium-high heat. When hot, add the diced chicken and courgette and cook until charred, 8-10 mins total. Turn only every couple of mins. IMPORTANT: Wash hands and utensils after handling raw meat. Cook so there's no pink in the middle.

b) Once cooked, lower the heat to medium-high, add the peas and stir-fry, 2-3 mins.

c) Add the garlic and mixed herbs and fry until fragrant, 30 secs more. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and a pinch of lemon zest. Set aside for later.

Add the Flavour
4

a) Once the orzo is cooked, drain in a sieve and run under cold water. Drizzle with oil and stir through to stop it sticking together.

b) In a large bowl, combine the pesto, a pinch of lemon zest, sugar, olive oil for the dressing (see pantry for both amounts) and half the lemon juice.

c) Season with salt and pepper, then crumble in half the hard Italian style cheese.

All Together Now
5

a) When everything's ready, add the cooked veg, orzo and rocket to the pesto dressing. Toss to combine.

b) Taste and season with salt, pepper and more lemon juice if you feel it needs it. 

Serve Up
6

a) Share the pesto orzo salad between your serving bowls. 

b) Crumble over the remaining cheese.

c) Finish with a sprinkling of chilli flakes (add less if you'd prefer things milder).

Enjoy!

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