Ingredients

4 capsicums

4 cloves garlic

For the salad:

1 cup frozen edamame beans

Half a red onion

Half a cucumber

2 or 3 spring onions

100g Angel Food feta

1 large tomato

¼ cup stoned olives

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons cider vinegar (or lemon juice)

Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

For the orzo:

300g orzo

2 tablespoons olive oil

Liquid and garlic from roast capsicums

1 teaspoon cider vinegar (or lemon juice)

1 teaspoon salt

Big handful each of mint leaves and parsley leaves

To serve:

Wedges of cos lettuce

Tahini or vegan mayo

 

Instructions

1.        Put frozen edamame on the bench to defrost: it doesn’t need cooking.

2.        Preheat oven to 200C. Place capsicums on an oven tray on their flattest side. Peel the garlic cloves, cut a slit in the top side of each capsicum and push a garlic clove in. This will stop the garlic drying out while it roasts, and impart good flavour to the capsicum. Bake for about 20 to 30 minutes: you want the capsicums to have started to soften, but still be holding their shape.

3.        Remove from the oven and set aside until they’re cool enough to handle.

4.        Cook the orzo (or other grain of your choice) according to instructions on the package. When it’s cooked and drained stir through 2 tablespoons olive oil to stop it sticking together, and set aside to cool.

5.        With a sharp knife, cut off the top side of each capsicum (and put it with your salad ingredients). Carefully cut out the core without cutting the sides of the pepper, and retaining the stalk. There will be a lot of juice inside – put this, and the roasted garlic, aside for the orzo dressing.

6.        Make the salad: finely chop red onion, cucumber, spring onions, feta, tomato and olives (plus the slice you removed from the top of each capsicum). Put in a bowl with the defrosted edamame, olive oil and cider vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Stir gently to combine, and set aside.

7.        Make the orzo dressing: using a food processor or stick blender, whizz up the garlic, capsicum juice, cider vinegar, salt, mint and parsley. Pour over the orzo and stir gently to combine.

8.        When you’re ready to serve, spread the herbed orzo on a large plate. Fill each capsicum with salad, and place on the orzo with wedges of cos lettuce (if using). If you like, drizzle with tahini or vegan mayo.

9.        Best served at room temperature.

 

Notes:

Make it gluten-free by swapping the orzo for rice or quinoa.

We chose edamame for their lively green colour but other beans such as black beans or chickpeas would work in this too. Frozen green peas are also an easy swap for the edamame (just cook them lightly).

If you like it spicy, add some chilli: fresh chilli finely diced in the salad or chilli sauce drizzled over the top.

Instead of ¼ cup olives you could use the same amount of your favourite tasty pickle – e.g. jalapenos, olives, capers or a mix of any of those.