A Creamy Vegan Lemon “Parmesan” Orzo with Asparagus that’s so cheesy, you’re going to forget its Vegan! Delicate orzo pasta, tender asparagus and hint of lemon in this perfect dinner.

Most on-the-spur-of-the-moment + unexpectedly good recipe I have ever made. No jokes.

I had a bunch of asparagus from forever ago when I was obsessed with it, and I could see the tips starting to soften and get mushy. So I just really wanted to use that up somehow.

And since I’m having a pasta phase I wanted to do some sort of a pasta, and then remembered an Orzo recipe from Half Baked Harvest’s Instagram I’d come across at one point which used some veggies. Turned out it was a cheesy lemon zucchini orzo. I went off of that and created this Vegan lemon orzo with asparagus instead.

It was so good that I regretted using all of that asparagus in the one recipe, coz I couldn’t make any more the next day.

A creamy vegan lemon vegetable pasta full of flavor and cheesy goodness from the nutritional yeast, with no milk, mayo, flour or cashew!

Cheesy Vegan Orzo?

Yes! Nutritional yeast is a great Vegan substitute for parmesan cheese and gives this orzo (or any pasta dish for that matter) a rich cheesy flavor without the dairy and fat.

It’s also quite high in protein and fiber and is a much better alternative from the health benefits point of view as well.

Creamy Vegan Orzo?

To give this delicious orzo that super creamy texture, I used light coconut milk – no milk, no mayo, no cashew and Vegan! If you have the full-fat version on hand, that would work perfectly fine too. I haven’t tried it out with Almond milk yet, but I know Flax Milk is also a great non-dairy alternative.

Try this homemade vegan orzo pasta with asparagus that has a creamy texture, cheesy taste and hint of lemon for your next veggie loaded dinner!

How do you put it together?

Fry the garlic in olive oil in a medium-heated skillet until it gives you that beautiful fragrance.
Add in the dry orzo and chopped asparagus and let it toast a bit.
Pour in a bit of the broth to deglaze the pan, so that you keep all those delicious garlicky flavors.
Add in the remaining broth, and then stir in the parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest and onion powder.
Season it with some salt and pepper, bring the mixture to a boil and then let it simmer for about 10 minutes until the orzo is cooked.
Stir together the coconut milk and nutritional yeast in a small bowl, then pour the mixture into the pan, stir it and let the orzo cook to that creamy blissful consistency. Add in some more broth if it gets too thick.

And that’s it!

I’d recommend adding on some extra parsley or even a squeeze of lemon juice if that’s your thing, but make sure you have it hot.

Loaded with fresh asparagus, this cheesy lemon orzo pasta is a great healthy vegetarian and dairy free option too!

Does this keep?

Of course this orzo tests best fresh, but you can keep it in the fridge in a sealed airtight container for even 3 days. Microwave it to reheat, and add in a bit of broth if it gets too dry.

The perfect homemade vegan orzo pasta with asparagus that has a creamy texture, cheesy taste and hint of lemon for your next veggie loaded dinner!

More Cheesy Vegan Recipes?