Orzo is durum wheat pasta shaped like grains of barley (called orzo in Italian). In this recipe it is combined with celeriac and mixed mushrooms (oyster, shiitake, eryngii). The less common ingredient is dried tofu (bean curd) sticks. For the seasoning I also used miso and fermented broad bean paste (tobanjan).
vegan 30-minutes • 725 kcal per person 
Ingredients
For two people:
- Fresh ingredients & groceries
- 400 g celeriac
- 150-200 g mixed mushrooms
- 2 cm ginger, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- 70 g dried tofu sticks
- From the store cupboard
- 1 cup of orzo
- 3 dried tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon miso paste
- 1/2 teaspoon tobanjan (broad bean paste)
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
- 1 tablespoon pine kernels
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Preparation
- Soak the tofu sticks in very hot water for 30 minutes.
- Wash and peel the celeriac and chop it into small pieces (~ 1 cm).
- If desired, wash the mushrooms, and chop them into small pieces.
- Bring 2 l water for the orzo to the boil, with the dried tomatoes, and cook the orzo for 4 minutes over high heat. Switch off the hob and leave it for 8 minutes.
- Take out the dried tomatoes and chop them.
- Meanwhile
- Cook the celeriac for 5 minutes in the microwave at full power (900W).
- Drain the cooking liquid of the celeriac in a small bowl and mix in the tomato puree, miso, tobanjan and mirin.
- Drain the tofu sticks and cut them into pieces.
- Heat the oil in a deep pan. When the oil is hot, add the ginger, garlic, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds and fry for a few minutes over medium heat.
- Add the mushrooms and fry over medium heat until they just start to brown.
- Add the coriander and the soy sauce to the pan.
- Add the celeriac and tofu sticks to the pan and cook until lightly browned.
- Turn the heat very low.
- Add the tomato puree mixture and the dried tomatoes to the pan
- Drain the orzo and add it to the pan.
- Season pepper to taste.