Beetroot, Feta & Lemon Orzo with Honeyed Roast Vegetables
This is a simple Mediterranean-style dish built around contrast: lemony orzo with earthy beetroot, salty feta and toasted walnuts, served alongside sweet, honeyed roast peppers and courgettes. Everything is deliberately kept separate so the flavours stay clear and balanced, making it as good for a relaxed lunch as it is for part of a mezze-style spread.
Ingredients
- 150 g orzo
- 200 g cooked beetroot cut into bite-size pieces
- 100 g feta crumbled
- 40 g walnuts
- 1 lemon finely zested and juiced
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
For the roasted vegetables
- 2 red peppers deseeded and sliced
- 1 medium courgette sliced
- 1½ tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp Greek honey
- Black pepper and salt
Instructions
Roast vegetables
- Heat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan). Toss the peppers and courgette with the olive oil, oregano, a light pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper. Roast for 25–30 minutes until soft and lightly caramelised, then drizzle over the honey while still hot and return to the oven for a final 3–4 minutes. Set aside to serve separately.
Orzo
- Cook the orzo in well-salted boiling water until just tender, then drain well. While still warm, return it to the pan and dress with the olive oil and lemon zest, stirring so the pasta absorbs the flavour. Fold through the beetroot, then add lemon juice gradually until bright but not sharp. Season with black pepper and only a little salt.
- Toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan over a medium heat until fragrant and just coloured, then roughly chop. Spoon the orzo into a serving bowl, crumble over the feta and scatter with the walnuts.
- Serve the honeyed roast peppers and courgettes on the side, allowing the sweetness to contrast with the lemony orzo and salty feta rather than mixing through.
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