Shrimp Orzo with Lemon

This perfectly light summer dish comes together in about 30 minutes, combining delicious flavors of shrimp and lemon with a creamy base.

In South Texas, it’s basically already summer… as I write this the temperature is nearing 80F and there’s a wonderful thunderstorm rumbling. In addition to the rain, lemon and shrimp seem to say “summer” to me. Both can be refreshing on a hot summer day, so we will be making shrimp orzo with lemon a few times throughout the season.

Recently, orzo has been one of my go-to ingredients. I really like the taste, texture, and versatility of orzo pasta and have been finding numerous ways to use it. Plus, as an added bonus, almost every orzo meal we’ve made reheats really well for lunch the next day.

Shrimp Orzo with Lemon is prepared in only one large pan, so cleanup is easy when you’re done. Since the orzo is cooked in broth rather than water, it holds a lot more flavor for the final meal.

The original idea for this recipe came from the Cooking Light magazine. I changed quite a few things as I was cooking it. I like to use either photos or recipes as a base idea for a lot of meals. Then tweak and change based on our tastes as well as what we have on hand or even what was available at the grocery store when we went.

Shrimp Orzo with Lemon Step by Step

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion (chopped)
• 6 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 1 cup orzo (uncooked)
• 1/3 cup white cooking wine
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 lb shrimp (medium, peeled and deveined)
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 oz cream cheese
• 1 tbsp chives

Preparation

Place a large stockpot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. While the oil is heating, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add them to the hot oil. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often.

Add the orzo pasta and toast for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Pour the white cooking wine into the orzo and bring to a boil.

Once the liquid has evaporated, pour in 2 cups of the chicken broth and sprinkle with salt.

Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer for 7-8 minutes, until the liquid has absorbed and evaporated.

Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth plus the lemon zest and shrimp. Cook for another 7-8 minutes, until the liquid has absorbed most of the way. The shrimp should be cooked through, too.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the lemon juice, pepper, and cream cheese. Stir until combined.

Separate the pasta into serving dishes and garnish with chives.

Recipe

Shrimp Orzo with Lemon

This perfectly light summer dish comes together in about 30 minutes, combining delicious flavors of shrimp and lemon with a creamy base.

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Course:

Main Dish

Cuisine:

American

Keyword:

orzo

|

pasta

|

seafood

|

shrimp

Servings: 4

5 from 2 votes

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion (chopped)
• 6 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 1 cup orzo (uncooked)
• 1/3 cup white cooking wine
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 lb shrimp (medium, peeled and deveined)
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 oz cream cheese
• 1 tbsp chives

Recommended Equipment

• Stockpot
• Chef Knife
• Garlic Press
• Lemon Zester

Instructions

• Add oil to a large stockpot and heat over medium-high
• Meanwhile, dice the onion and mince the garlic
• When the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, and thyme to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often
• Add the orzo and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly
• Pour in the white wine and bring to a boil
• Once the liquid has evaporated, pour in 2 cups of the chicken broth and sprinkle with salt
• Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for 7-8 minutes, until the liquid has absorbed
• Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth, lemon zest, and shrimp
• Cook for another 7-8 minutes, until the liquid has absorbed and the shrimp are cooked
• Remove the pan from the heat and add the lemon juice, pepper, and cream cheese
• Stir until combined
• Separate the pasta into serving dishes and garnish with chives

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Nutrition Facts

Shrimp Orzo with Lemon

Amount Per Serving

Calories 343 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 2g10%

Cholesterol 293mg98%

Sodium 1953mg81%

Potassium 417mg12%

Carbohydrates 34g11%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 30g60%

Vitamin A 210IU4%

Vitamin C 28.6mg35%

Calcium 213mg21%

Iron 3.9mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

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