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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
So, bottom line, this recipe is phenomenal. The flavors are perfect, and I would make it weekly if I had the hours to devote (it took a long time). BUT, despite all my best efforts, I cannot get the feta to crisp properly without completely falling apart. I use nonstick, plenty of oil, a spatula…and yet the crust consistently sticks to the pan. Any tips??
Hey Jen,
Thanks for trying the recipe, so sorry you are having issues with the feta. It is important that your feta is super dry before coating it in the cornstarch. Also It think it is important to note that I do not use a nonstick pan, I use a screaming hot cast iron skillet. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
I love love love love this recipe! A go to during the week.
Love that! Thank you Angela! xTieghan
Absolutely fantastic! Another hit from my favorite website. I made this tonight and it was a huge hit across the board. Managed to please a one year old, a three year old, and both of us. Served it with pita and I’m absolutely stuffed! Will definitely put this in the rotation. It was fast-I timed it since one reviewer said it took her an hour-and it took me 35 minutes from start to finish. Prob could have been 30min if I wasn’t cooking with the help of my one year old!
I am so glad this turned out so well for you, Brie! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Okay people, if anyone can truly prep this meal in 10 minutes my hat is off to you. Let’s be realistic, you’re chopping basil, thyme, garlic, squash, zesting lemon, and carefully slicing feta. Crisping garbanzos I found to take longer than 5 min at medium high heat, same with getting my vegatable crispy. The meal was tasty but in my book not quick and easy. It did turn out looking like the photo which is a plus and the combination of flavors was nice and unique.
Hi Sharon! I am really glad you enjoyed this recipe! Also, I apologize if the prep time was longer than expected.. I will fix! xTieghan
I looked at this and immediately knew there’s no way it’s 272 calories per serving. I calculate over 600 cals/serving. That calorie calculator is way off for some reason.
Hi Cindy! Thank you for letting me know! I will definitely check this out! xTieghan
Loved this! I swapped Israeli pearl couscous for the orzo since it is what I had and it was all very delicious! The feta is dangerously easy lol
Thank you so much Caitlin! xTieghan
Hi how did you calculate calories? I Halved the chickpeas and still got double the calories. Thanks!
Hey LC,
We use an automated calorie counter for the estimated amount of calories. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Delicious. The mix of textures and fresh herbs are so good !
I used couscous instead of orzo. And just 1 can of chick peas and 1 zucchini with the same quantity of spices, which made the recipe even tastier. I took out the chick peas from the pan before putting the zucchini in (as per in the video, but it was not clear in the written steps). Next time, I would finish with the feta, as it had pretty cooled down at the end and I had to reheat it before dressing the plates.
Amazing!! I am so glad this turned out so well for you, Karine! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
Things my husband said while eating this meal:
“This is amazing!”
“Top 3 meals of my life!”
“We NEED to share this with all our friends”
“This is the BOMB!….. In my mouth!!!”
“If I have to have a last meal…..I want it to be this.”
“Who is this lady with the recipe….you need to write her a note….”
(Obviously a winner…thank you!)
Haha wow that is so amazing to hear!! I am so glad you both loved this recipe, Kristen! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Love this blog and recipes! This recipe gets three starts from me for a couple reasons. 1) because you’re making all the parts separately, it’s hard to keep them all hot/warm for serving. by the time we ate, the orzo was cold and the feta was a bit soggy. 2) the feta should be cooked at a pretty low heat or else it just bakes onto your cookware. at least that was my experience. 3) leftovers didn’t save very well. it became a soggy mess upon reheating.
I love all these flavors together. But I probably won’t make this recipe again. Highly recommend using dill as one of your herbs.
Hi Julia! I am really glad this turned out well for you. Please let me know if there is anything I can help you with! I hope you love some other recipes of mine! xTieghan
It was so good and different way to est feta ❤️
Thank you Heidi! xTieghan
My daughter made this for me last night and it was phenomenal! The perfect summer dish that I have been searching for and not finding. Fresh mint and dill added to the yogurt were perfect and the sweet squash balanced the salty chick peas. She served it along side salmon with crispy capers but it easily stands on its own beautifully. I will definitely be making this for myself and friends. Thank you!
Thank you so much Lisa!! Really glad this turned out well! xTieghan
This was amazing!! It was so fun to use all of the fresh herbs and veggies I have been growing, and the feta was for sure the highlight, I mean wow! Will make this again for sure.I made no changes, can’t imagine why anyone would. Please keep the vegetarian meals coming.
I am so happy this turned out so amazing for you, Tara! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Delicious! Can’t wait to make this for friends!
Thank you Tiffany! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This was amazingly delicious !!!! I only swapped out the sesame for pine nuts according to what I had on hand . Can’t wait to make it again . Thanks half baked harvest !!!!
Thank you Tara!! xTieghan