Vegetable Stew with Orzo
When you need something hearty and warming, this slimming-friendly Vegetable Stew with Orzo won't disappoint. Packed full of goodness, the tasty combination of veggies, potatoes and orzo pasta will leave you feeling full and satisfied. Your Instant Pot does all the hard work in this recipe, so let it work its magic, then sit down to enjoy your cosy bowl of stew.
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NutritionPer Serving
- Calories411
- Carbs78g
- Protein15g
- Fat2.3g
- Saturates0.4g
- Sugars11g
For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff to know in the blurb!
Our slimming-friendly Vegetable Stew with Orzo is a warming and hearty dish for a chilly day – perfect if you’re calorie counting or following Weight Watchers.
You’ll put your Instant Pot to good use for this easy recipe – it’ll make light work of cooking the medley of healthy veggies, potatoes and orzo pasta. Start off with a pressure cook to make sure that all the veg is cooked, and then finish it off with a slow cook to make sure that all the flavours are at their very best.
We’ve kept the ingredients list nice and simple, with a couple of key herbs to help bring out the best flavours from your vegetables. Don’t feel like you have to stick with the same veg that we’ve used! Feel free to get creative and use up any stray bits and bobs that you have in the kitchen.
This cosy stew is so filling, we don’t think you’ll miss the meat one bit! If you prefer, you can always add a bit of meat into the mix too – just remember to adjust the calories and make sure it’s cooked all the way through before serving.
What diets is this Vegetable Stew with Orzo suitable for?
This Vegetable Stew with Orzo recipe is suitable for dairy-free, vegetarian and vegan diets.
It can be made gluten free as long as you swap out the following ingredients for gluten-free versions:
- Orzo
- Vegetable stock
Please make sure to double and triple check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies.
Do you need any special ingredients to make Vegetable Stew with Orzo?
You won’t need any special ingredients, but you will need an Instant Pot.
If you’ve never heard of the Instant Pot you really should go and check it out over on Amazon. Imagine the best Slow Cooker in the world, then times that by a hundred. There’s not much that it can’t do!
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The Instant Potis like a like a slow cooker/pressure cooker hybrid, and it’s probably one of our favourite and most used kitchen gadgets here at Pinch of Nom.
You can also get an Instant Pot that has an air fryer function! It’s perfect if you have limited space for gadgets in your kitchen.
How many calories are in this Vegetable Stew with Orzo?
There are 411 calories per portion in this Vegetable Stew with Orzo, which means it falls into our Weekly Indulgence category.
This Vegetable Stew with Orzo is perfect if you’re following a calorie controlled diet, and fits well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers.
As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.
Step 1
Chop all the vegetables into even chunks.
Step 2
Add the vegetables to the Instant Pot along with the orzo. Add the stock cube to the boiling water and stir to dissolve. Pour into the Instant Pot.
Step 3
Set to a manual high pressure and cook for 15 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
Step 4
Then set on a slow cook for around an hour or so. The vegetables and orzo should be cooked and soft.
Step 5
Season to taste, then plate up and enjoy!
What could I serve with this Vegetable Stew with Orzo?
This is a filling meal all on its own, but you could serve it alongside the following recipes:
How do you know when this Vegetable Stew with Orzo is cooked?
The vegetables should be cooked on manual high pressure cook for 15 minutes, then set on a slow cook for around an hour or so, depending on your preference.
Standard advice here in the UK is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and stayed at that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep your family safe.
How long can you keep this Vegetable Stew with Orzo in the fridge?
Once you’ve put it out, ideally you should eat it within 4 hours.
If you allow any leftovers to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill. You can keep leftovers of Vegetable Stew with Orzo in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so.
Can I freeze Vegetable Stew with Orzo?
Yes you can! This recipe can be frozen, but please remember to do the following;
- Freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
- Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.
Don’t forget to add a label with what it is, and on what date you put it in the freezer!
How do I reheat this Vegetable Stew with Orzo?
From chilled: Place in a microwavable container with a loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot.
From frozen: Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat from chilled.
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Vegetable Stew with Orzo
When you need something hearty and warming, this slimming-friendly Vegetable Stew with Orzo won't disappoint. Packed full of goodness, the tasty combination of veggies, potatoes and orzo pasta will leave you feeling full and satisfied. Your Instant Pot does all the hard work in this recipe, so let it work its magic, then sit down to enjoy your cosy bowl of stew.
-
Prep Time
10 MINS
-
Cook Time
1 HR 15
- KCals 411
- Carbs 78G
Instructions
- Chop all the vegetables into even chunks.
- Add the vegetables to the Instant Pot along with the orzo. Add the stock cube to the boiling water and stir to dissolve. Pour into the Instant Pot.
- Set to a manual high pressure and cook for 15 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
- Then set on a slow cook for around an hour or so. The vegetables and orzo should be cooked and soft.
- Season to taste, then plate up and enjoy!
Looking for Slimming World Syns or Weight Watchers (WW) Points?
With ever-changing plans and point calculations, we have made the decision to remove WW Points from the website - referring to your individual plan or advice from your consultant is always going to give the most accurate results.
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We agreed with Slimming World to remove their trademarked terms from our website
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18 comments
See what others have to say
KATIE AKRIGGTuesday 27th April 2021
Hi, How could I do this in the slow cooker? I’ve looked on the conversion article, but that only states slow cooker to insta pot? Not the other way around? I want to make a big batch so I can pop in the freezer.
Many Thanks xx
HollyThursday 20th May 2021
Hey Katie, so we have 2 articles for recipe conversions one for Slow Cookers and one for https://pinchofnom.com/how-to-convert-recipes-to-your-instant-pot/ I’ve just had a look at this recipe is cooked for 15 minutes at high pressure in the Instant Pot so using the information in the articles it should be cooked on low in a slow cooker for about 4-5 hours. Hope that helps!
Katie WSaturday 13th February 2021
Very tasty, made on the stove as I have no crock pot or anything. Added leek and onion first, then potato and carrot , a minute later the celery, then broccoli let simmer for a few minutes in half of the stock and then added the orzo. Topped up the stock when it started to be absorbed
HollyMonday 15th February 2021
Hey Katie, thanks so much for your message with tips on this recipe!
sarah WintertonWednesday 26th August 2020
Hi there
Can this be batch and freeze ???
HollyThursday 24th September 2020
Hi Sarah, yes this is fine to freeze! Just remember to date and label when putting in the freezer and defrost overnight before reheating. Hope that helps!
Christina CloseTuesday 18th August 2020
Hi, How would I make this if I don’t have an Instant Pot?
Thanks
Christina
HollyWednesday 26th August 2020
Hi Christina, we haven’t tried this recipe on the hob but you could try adding the ingredients to a pan and set on a medium heat, cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are soft and the orzo is cooked through. Let us know how you get on!
Karen McLeanTuesday 3rd December 2019
How long would I cook this in a slow cooker for please?
HollyFriday 16th October 2020
Hey Karen, We have recently published an article on slow cooker and instant pot conversions which you can find here if you scroll down there is a table that gives a rough guide for how to convert recipes. These times are just a rough guide only, so please make sure that everything is cooked through before serving. If not, just cook it for a bit longer. Hope that helps!
Bernadette DaySaturday 10th August 2019
Why can I not see the recipes. I can only see the comments!!!
Holly LevellFriday 15th May 2020
Hi Bernadette, it sounds like you’ve scrolled all the way to the bottom of the page if you scroll up a bit you should find the recipe card
Rita dinsdaleThursday 9th May 2019
What is oreo please
CateSaturday 25th May 2019
Orzo is a type of pasta that looks like rice, you can pick it up in most major supermarkets 🙂
CatSaturday 26th January 2019
Hiya, if I were to add Chicken to this, how long should I cook it in the slow cooker for, and do I need to increase the amount of stock? Thank you 🙂
Kerry DonnellySaturday 23rd June 2018
Could frozen veg be used to make this?
D.JonesMonday 5th February 2018
How long in a standard slow cooker please?
CharlotteTuesday 27th December 2016
If using just a standard slow cooker how long would you cook for? What temperatures xx
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