One-Pot Vegan Creamed Corn Orzo

Oh hi, just sneaking in a sweet corn recipe before summer is over. I actually can’t wait for fall but I am already getting a little nostalgic for the abundant summer produce I’ve been enjoying. This Vegan Creamed Corn Orzo is a celebration of sweet corn, one of the greatest joys of the season.

This method of cooking orzo requires less water than typically required for pasta and results in a creamy risotto-like pasta dish. The creaminess comes from the combination of blended sweet corn and cashews as well as the starchiness of the orzo as it cooks. Whole corn kernels are stirred in at the end so each bite contains creamy pasta sauce, tender orzo, and juicy corn. I’d also like to note that this dish can be made with other pasta shapes, but you may need to adjust the cooking time and water-to-pasta ratio.

How to make One-Pot Vegan Creamed Corn Orzo

This one-pot orzo dish comes together quickly and requires only 8 ingredients:

1. fresh sweet corn
2. raw cashews
3. garlic
4. miso paste
5. lemon juice
6. olive oil
7. orzo
8. basil

Make your Sweet Corn Cashew Cream first by tossing all the ingredients in a blender and blending til smooth. Next, make the orzo by sautéing garlic in olive oil, then adding the orzo and broth and simmering until thickened. Stir in the cashew cream, basil, and reserved corn kernels, and you’re done!

Vegan Creamed Corn Orzo

This seasonal vegan orzo dish requires only 8 ingredients and one pot to make. Fresh sweet corn and cashews are blended together to make a creamy and flavorful base for the orzo, which only takes 10 minutes to cook!

• Author: Jillian
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

To make the Sweet Corn Cashew Cream:

• 2 cups of blanched sweet corn kernels*
• 1/4 c raw cashews soaked overnight or in boiling water for an hour
• 1/2 c water
• 1 tbsp miso paste
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove
• pinch of salt

To make the orzo:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 c orzo
• 3 c water or vegetable stock
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt (consider using less depending on how salty your stock is)
• 1/4 c chopped fresh basil
• half of the Sweet Corn Cashew Cream
• 2 cups of blanched sweet corn kernels*
• more salt and pepper to taste
• lemon juice to taste
• optional garnishes: halved cherry tomatoes, more basil, flaky salt, red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. To make the Sweet Corn Cashew Cream, add the corn, soaked cashews, water, miso paste, lemon juice, garlic, and salt to a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
2. To make the orzo, heat olive oil in a soup pot or skillet with high sides over medium heat, then saute the minced garlic until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add the orzo and stir to coat with oil. Add the salt and vegetable broth and increase the heat to high until it starts to boil.
3. Reduce the heat to medium to maintain a steady simmer and stir occasionally to release the starch in the orzo and prevent sticking on the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 8-10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
4. Stir in the fresh basil, Sweet Corn Cashew Cream (half of the batch you made earlier), and corn kernels. Taste and decide if you need more salt or lemon juice, and add plenty of black pepper and red pepper flakes if you like.
5. Serve with halved cherry tomatoes and more fresh basil. Store leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Notes

*I used 4 large ears of corn for this entire recipe. To blanch them, I just popped them in a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes until they turned bright yellow. You could also cut the kernels off the cobs and briefly saute them before using them in this recipe.

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you make and enjoy this recipe. If you do, please tag me on Instagram so we can connect. xo Jillian