Vegan Lemony Sausage and Kale Orzo
Tempeh seasoned like Italian sausage, sauteed with kale, tossed with lemon dressed orzo. This dish takes 20 minutes tops and is to die for!
Ingredients
- 8 oz. Tempeh
- 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
- 2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp. Smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp. Fennel seeds
- 1/2 tsp. Onion powder
- pinch of Black pepper
- pinch of Red pepper flakes
- Juice of 2-3 Lemons, I used meyer, but use whatever kind you want
- 5-6 oz. Kale, chopped. I used half of a 10 oz. bag
- 16 oz. Orzo pasta, vegan
Instructions
- Start boiling the water for the orzo. Once the water is boiling, cook according to package instructions.
- While the orzo is cooking, heat the olive oil on medium high in a large cast iron skillet or non stick pan.
- Now add the garlic. Then crumble the tempeh into the pan so it is in small clusters and looks sausage like. Now add all the seasoning to the tempeh, stir to coat. Brown the tempeh, reducing heat as needed. May take about 5-6 minutes.
- Once the tempeh is nice and brown, add in the chopped kale. Stir in and add a little more olive oil if you like, and sprinkle with some salt and pepper.
- Saute the kale until wilted, about 2 minutes or so. Now squeeze the juice of one lemon over the sausage and kale. Remove from heat.
- Once the orzo is done, drain and return to pot. Squeeze the juice of 1-2 more lemons over the orzo, depending on how much lemon flavor you want. Add a bit more olive oil if you want and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Now scoop the tempeh sausage and kale into the pot with the orzo. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately. It tastes amazing with some vegan Parmesan on top!
Notes
I like to either toast my fennel seeds, or crush them before adding to the tempeh. This is optional though.
You can use as much kale as you want. This was a good amount for me, but if you are a huge kale fan, add more.