{"id":7930,"date":"2026-09-26T21:58:54","date_gmt":"2026-09-26T21:58:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/?p=7930"},"modified":"2026-09-26T21:58:54","modified_gmt":"2026-09-26T21:58:54","slug":"mediterranean-roasted-cauliflower-orzo-with-chickpeas-and-feta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/26\/mediterranean-roasted-cauliflower-orzo-with-chickpeas-and-feta\/","title":{"rendered":"Mediterranean Roasted Cauliflower Orzo with Chickpeas and Feta"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Mediterranean Roasted Cauliflower Orzo with Chickpeas and Feta<\/h1>\n<p>A hearty, flavorful one-pan-inspired Mediterranean meal made with golden roasted cauliflower, tender orzo, crispy chickpeas, creamy feta, fresh herbs, and a bright lemon-garlic dressing. It\u2019s easy enough for a weeknight dinner and delicious served warm or at room temperature.<\/p>\n<h2>Ingredients<\/h2>\n<h3>For the Roasted Cauliflower &amp; Chickpeas<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>1 large head cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets<\/li>\n<li>1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and thoroughly dried<\/li>\n<li>2 tablespoons olive oil<\/li>\n<li>1 teaspoon smoked paprika<\/li>\n<li>1 teaspoon dried oregano<\/li>\n<li>\u00bd teaspoon garlic powder<\/li>\n<li>\u00bd teaspoon ground cumin<\/li>\n<li>Salt and black pepper, to taste<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>For the Orzo<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>1\u00bd cups dry orzo<\/li>\n<li>3 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth<\/li>\n<li>2 cloves garlic, minced<\/li>\n<li>1 tablespoon olive oil<\/li>\n<li>\u00bd teaspoon dried oregano<\/li>\n<li>Salt and black pepper, to taste<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>For the Lemon Dressing<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil<\/li>\n<li>2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice<\/li>\n<li>1 teaspoon lemon zest<\/li>\n<li>1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup<\/li>\n<li>1 small garlic clove, finely grated<\/li>\n<li>Salt and black pepper, to taste<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>For Serving<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00be cup crumbled feta cheese<\/li>\n<li>\u00bd cup chopped fresh parsley<\/li>\n<li>\u00bc cup chopped fresh dill or mint<\/li>\n<li>\u00bd cup cherry tomatoes, halved<\/li>\n<li>Optional: sliced Kalamata olives<\/li>\n<li>Optional: extra lemon wedges<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Instructions<\/h2>\n<h3>1. Roast the Cauliflower and Chickpeas<\/h3>\n<p>Preheat the oven to <strong>425\u00b0F (220\u00b0C)<\/strong>. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.<\/p>\n<p>Add the cauliflower florets and chickpeas to the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Toss well until everything is evenly coated.<\/p>\n<p>Spread everything into a single layer and roast for <strong>25\u201330 minutes<\/strong>, tossing halfway through, until the cauliflower is tender and deeply golden and the chickpeas are lightly crisp.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Cook the Orzo<\/h3>\n<p>While the vegetables roast, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat.<\/p>\n<p>Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir in the orzo and oregano and toast for 1\u20132 minutes.<\/p>\n<p>Pour in the broth and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about <strong>9\u201311 minutes<\/strong>, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.<\/p>\n<p>Remove from the heat and let it rest for a couple of minutes.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Make the Lemon Dressing<\/h3>\n<p>In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey or maple syrup, garlic, salt, and black pepper.<\/p>\n<p>Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Assemble<\/h3>\n<p>Add the roasted cauliflower and chickpeas to the cooked orzo. Pour over the lemon dressing and gently toss everything together.<\/p>\n<p>Fold in the cherry tomatoes, parsley, and dill or mint.<\/p>\n<h3>5. Add the Feta<\/h3>\n<p>Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle generously with crumbled feta. Finish with an extra squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil.<\/p>\n<p>Serve warm or at room temperature.<\/p>\n<h2>Tips<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>For extra crispy chickpeas:<\/strong> Make sure they are very dry before roasting.<\/li>\n<li><strong>For more Mediterranean flavor:<\/strong> Add Kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, or a pinch of red pepper flakes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Make it vegan:<\/strong> Use a plant-based feta and maple syrup instead of honey.<\/li>\n<li><strong>For meal prep:<\/strong> Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Add a little lemon juice or olive oil before serving to refresh the flavors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mediterranean Roasted Cauliflower Orzo with Chickpeas and Feta A hearty, flavorful one-pan-inspired Mediterranean meal made with golden roasted cauliflower, tender&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7931,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7930","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-recipe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7930","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7930"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7930\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7932,"href":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7930\/revisions\/7932"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7931"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7930"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7930"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}