Celebrating Fall Equinox: One Pot Fall Vegetable Orzo and Chickpeas!

People tend to assume that I spend a lot of money on groceries. I always laugh at that, because they couldn't be more wrong! 

If anything I spend less since nearly EVERYTHING I make is from scratch! I think people who cook a lot tend to spend less on the average for that reason. Frozen foods and packaged foods are convenience foods and those will cost you big time.

Let's take this dish, for example, One Pot Fall Vegetable Orzo and Chickpeas. It calls for orzo pasta, spinach or kale, butternut squash, Parmesan cheese, broth, onion, garlic, and fresh herbs.

I could go to the store and buy pre-washed and packaged greens, packages of cubed up butternut squash, canned or boxed broth, and two kinds of herbs. All of that adds up, you're talking $15-20 just on those ingredients alone. However, I bought spinach from the produce section that I wash, dry, and chop myself. A container of already pre-washed spinach costs $3.99, mine was $1.69. A package of cubed up butternut squash yields about 2 cups for $4.99, but I bought an entire butternut squash for $4.19 and got 6 cups of squash when it was all said and done. Broth costs anywhere from $2-3 boxed up in the store, but I make mine with leftover chicken bones and vegetable peels, pretty much for free. I have chives, basil, oregano, thyme, sage, and parsley growing in abundance in my backyard that I grew from seeds for minimal costs and they save me money every week.

Moral of the story: Grow your own and also, do it yourself! Stay away from the pre-packaged stuff that you think saves you time because in the end it costs more and you get less. Plus, it's not that hard to just do it yourself! 

This was a fun dish to make. I enjoyed washing, cutting, and prepping all the veggies. I love the orange and green pops of color in the orzo and the ease of a one pot dish. Plus, this makes a ton of orzo! We had it for dinner and then I had enough for four lunches throughout the week! It was cheesy and comforting and so pretty and satisfying. I can definitely see myself making it again this fall!

One Pot Fall Vegetable Orzo and Chickpeas

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 sweet onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups cubed butternut squash, 1/2" to 1" cubes

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, chopped*

2 cups kale or spinach*

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup orzo

1 (14 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2-1/2 cups vegetable stock

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

fresh herbs, such as parsley, chives, sage, thyme, etc. for topping

Note: I left out the cremini mushrooms because we aren't big mushroom fans. I used spinach instead of kale because the spinach just looked better.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the onions and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the butternut squash with another pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the squash is beginning to get tender.

Stir in the mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in the kale or spinach, cooking for another few minutes until it wilts. Stir in the nutmeg and if you think it needs it, another pinch or two of salt and pepper.

Stir in the dry orzo pasta. Stir in the chickpeas. Pour in the vegetable stock and let the mixture come to a boil. Reduce it to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 15 minutes, until the orzo absorbs the stock and is plumped up. If the orzo isn't finished, cook for a few minutes more. The mixture still might be wet. If it seems too wet and the orzo is fully cooked, cook it for 5 minutes, stirring often, with the lid off.

Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Top with fresh herbs and serve! 

Fall Equinox @ I Heart Cooking Clubs!