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This plate of Crispy Lemon Feta with Spiced Chickpeas and Basil Orzo is a great easy meatless dinner for any night of the week. Crispy pan-fried feta cheese paired with spiced chickpeas and zucchini and severed over a creamy garlic lemon yogurt and buttery basil orzo. When you’re in need of an easy, colorful, and fresh dinner…make this vegetarian dish. Every bite is layered with delicious spring flavors. And the feta? It’s salty, crispy, and keeps everyone coming back for seconds.
Leave it to me to come up with a dinner recipe that highlights cheese as it’s “main”. Are you surprised? I would hope not. You all know how much I love cheese…this recipe is just more proof of that.
This is hands down my new favorite vegetarian dinner. It focuses heavily on the feta cheese plus a whole bundle of pantry staples too. Ok, jumping straight into the details today because I have many words to share about this crispy lemon feta with spiced chickpeas.
The Inspiration.
I wanted to create a vegetarian dinner that felt new and exciting. I racked my brain forever to come up with something fun. But in the end, I was just landing on dishes that I’d either already created and shared, or just sounded too boring to pursue.
The one thing I have not done is crispy tofu. Why you ask? Simply because I’m really not a fan of tofu. To be honest, it totally weirds me out. Something about the bright white color and the texture…it’s just not for me. But a crispy tofu with rice always looks so good. And then this got me thinking. What kind of looks like tofu and can be crisped in a skillet?
First, I thought of Halloumi cheese and yes, halloumi cheese is so delicious. But I didn’t have any in the fridge and I did not want anyone going to the store.
What did I have in the fridge? Feta cheese. So much feta cheese. And then the light bulb in my head went off. Why not just make crispy pan-fried feta cheese slices and serve them over orzo and call it dinner? It sounded delicious, so I went for it. I wrote a few notes down, decided to add chickpeas for heartiness and protein, and zucchini for some green color.
I wasn’t sure how it would all come together, but I knew it was going to be delicious…
And yes, this is delicious…crispy feta cheese plus buttery orzo. Nothing not to love.
Before you do anything, make the orzo.
This orzo is easy and has just three ingredients, butter, orzo, and basil. Just boil the orzo, toss with butter, then add plenty of freshly chopped basil. I love the buttery orzo paired with the light and summery basil. It’s simple, but mouth watering.
I have to say that this orzo was inspired by little miss Asher who could easily survive on pasta or rice. Two other foods she loves? Butter and basil. Put the three together and you have Asher’s dream bowl of food. Especially when a very generous sprinkle of flaky sea salt is added…basic, but in the best way.
Now, make the feta.
The crispy feta cheese is a lot easier to make than you might think. You need a block of feta cheese and some cornstarch. Just slice the feta and then toss in the cornstarch. The cornstarch is what gets the feta nice and crispy on the edges.
Next, pan-fry the cheese in olive oil. It crisps up quickly, so watch closely. Once the feta is crisped. Remove it from the skillet to a plate. You want to keep the feta cripsy, so this step is key.
Once the feta has been removed from the skillet, toss in the chickpeas and zucchini. Cook these together until crispy. Add some fresh thyme, lemon, a pinch of salt, and red pepper flakes…to your taste. And done, that’s the feta and the chickpeas.
At this point, the orzo should be done and it’s time to serve. Well, almost. First, stir together some Greek yogurt with a little garlic and lemon. I love a sauce with just about everything. This is the perfect creamy sauce to pair with rice and crispy cheese. You have three textures that are all made better when paired together.
Swirl the yogurt into a shallow bowl. Add the basil orzo, then the feta, chickpeas, and zucchini. Top the dish off with plenty of fresh herbs. I love using a mix of fresh dill, basil, and mint. Oh, and then, a pinch of flaky sea salt too.
And that’s it. Dinner in thirty minutes, made with pantry staples, feta cheese, and lots of fresh herbs. And even though this recipe is simple, it’s still so delicious. The feta is crisp on the outside, but soft and slightly melted inside. The chickpeas are crispy, spicy, and salty. The zucchini are sweet and flavored with fresh thyme. And the orzo is buttery, basily, and so very good.
Put it all together? Pretty close to perfect. My ideal meal any night of the week…easy, filling, a touch indulgent, but yet healthy too.
Looking for other vegetarian dinners? Here are some tried and true favorites.
Cauliflower Gnocchi with Crispy Zucchini and creamy Whipped Goat Cheese
Artichoke and Broccoli Pesto Brie Panini with Thyme Honey
Lemon Butter Cheese Ravioli with Garlic Basil Breadcrumbs
Lastly, if you make this crispy lemon feta with spiced chickpeas and basil orzo, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch the How To Video:
Crispy Lemon Feta with Spiced Chickpeas and Basil Orzo
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 813 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
Basil Orzo
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped, plus more for serving
Lemon Feta and Chickpeas
- 1 (8 ounce) block feta cheese, patted dry, and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 (16 ounce) cans chickpeas drained and patted dry
- 3 cloves sliced garlic and 1 clove grated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- kosher salt
- 2 zucchini or yellow summer squash, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried thyme)
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoons raw sesame seed
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup mixed tender herbs, such as mint, dill, and or cilantro
Instructions
- 1. Cook the orzo according to package directions, until al dente. Drain and toss with butter, basil, and a pinch of salt. 2. Meanwhile, make the feta. Add the cornstarch to a shallow bowl. Add the feta slices and toss to coat all sides. Heat a large, high sided skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Arrange the feta in a single layer and cook until golden, about 1 minute per side. Remove the feta from the skillet to a plate. 3. To the skillet, add the remaining 1/4 cup oil, the chickpeas, 3 cloves sliced garlic, the paprika, and a pinch of red pepper and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until the chickpeas are crisping, about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini, thyme, lemon zest, and sesame seeds. Cook another 5 minutes, until the zucchini is crisped on the edges. Remove from the heat.4. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, lemon juice, 1 clove grated garlic, and a pinch of salt. 5. To serve, spread the yogurt in the bottom of a shallow bowl. Add the orzo, crispy feta, and chickpeas overtop. Serve topped with fresh herbs. Enjoy!
Notes
The crispy feta was adapted from The New York Times.
This post was originally published on May 14, 2020
Looks great!
However, the cook times are much too short for the cheese and zucchini if they are supposed to turn out like the picture.
Probably the heat needs to be high (not medium) and several minutes rather than 1 for the feta. For the zucchini, they need much more than 5 minutes to start browning, at least if cooked with chickpeas. After about 10 minutes, only the pieces of zucchini that are directly in contact with the pan has a very slicht browning – the rest look raw.
To get the dish looking like in the picture, maybe use separate pans for everything, and combine later.
It smells great though, and I hope it tastes good too ?
Thank you! I am glad this turned out so well for you, Bjorn! Is there any questions I can help with? xTieghan
I agree–zucchini took a lot longer to brown . I did prepare each item separately and combined later.
This meal is simply amazing. I just love it. The flavours and the textures are marvelous. Easy to make. It turned out exactly as promised. My new favourite dish. It is also perfect for a work day lunch. I take it out of fridge an hour before eating and voila! A beautiful and satisfying lunch. I am making it again this week.
I am so glad this turned out so well for you!! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes Adele! xTieghan
I made this recipe just the other day. Really tasty, lots of garlic, and so fresh. I did not have any Orzo and apparently we do not have it in our city here in Germany but I used basmati rice instead and it tasted really good!! This recipe definitely felt like I was in Greece. Thank you!
Aw that is so amazing! I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Melanie! xTieghan
How essential are the herbs? All I have is parsley in the house!
Hi Claudia,
Use what you have on hand! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Oh my. This was delicious. My carnivorous family loved it! The flavors as amazing, and it is fairly easy to make. I subbed halloumi for the feta, but otherwise made it exactly as written. Thank you!
Amazing! Thank you for trying this one, Lina!! xTieghan
Made this last week and wanted to know if you have any tricks for pan searing the feta? The crispy layer just slid right off and it was pretty messy lol.
Hi Paige,
So sorry I am not sure why that would have happened. I am wondering if your pan was hot enough? Please let me know how I can help. xTieghan
Simple and delicious! I had all the ingredients to hand (swapped the orzo for pasta I had) so this was a perfect quick midweek meal.
Thank you so much Lucy!! xTieghan
This was absolutely delicious! I feel like I did everything slightly wrong too, from forgetting to salt the water for the orzo to frying up the feta incorrectly, but it still just delicious, such great flavors, as is usual for HBH!
I threw in about 5oz of spinach with the orzo to wilt and I think that was a nice way to bulk it a bit for a full diner and add some green. Used parsley and dill on top.
Note: be careful with what pan you use! I am still getting to know my All Clad stainless steel – and it did not go well, the corstarch completely stuck and they were these distorted puddles and I had to scrape all of the cornstarch off separately. Not picture perfect, but still delicious. Anyway, I would use a well-seasoned cast iron or non-stick next time.
Thank you for this delightful and different vegetarian meal!
Hi Lauren! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! I am really glad it turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Absolutely love your recipes, and this was no exception. Just delicious in every way. I really appreciate all the varied and flavorful vegetarian recipes. Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much Shelley!! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes! xTieghan
Made this for dinner last night, it was so tasty. I wasn’t gonna bother doing the garlicky lemon yogurt for the bottom but I’m glad I did (and I’m glad I have leftovers for today ha). The only issue I had was with my feta oozing out and making a bit of a mess, but still worth it and really good. Thank you for this recipe!
I am so glad you did as well! Thank you for trying this one, Jess! xTieghan
I felt like this didn’t really work. Normally I love your recipes and was excited to try this one. The cornstarch came off the feta and took more than a minute to brown each side. The chickpeas were popping all over the place but stayed mushy and not crispy. The orzo didn’t have much flavor. Overall it was a lot of dishes for an okay meal.
Hi Meghan! I am really sorry to hear that!! Is there anything I can help you with? Or anything that could have gotten changed? Please let me know! xTieghan
Made this in the air fryer tonight. Amazing recipe!
Thank you so much! I am so glad you enjoyed it! xTieghan
Oh man, as always, amazing!! I did want to ask, though, did you mean for the recipe to say remove the crispy chickpeas THEN add the zucchini? As it reads I just added them, so the chickpeas ended up mushy and the zucchini didn’t properly cook. It didn’t affect the flavors, though!
Hi Jen,
Thanks for trying the recipe. The instructions are correct, I cook the chickpeas and then add the zucchini. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was delicious! I used couscous instead of orzo, and it turned out great. The flavor profile was so on point. Thank you.
Thank you Cede! xTieghan
How many servings in one recipe?
Hi Kerry,
This recipe has 4 servings. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan