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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 delicious!! Love all the different flavors- the lemon with the basil is divine! Will definitely be making again 🙂
Thank you so much Steph! I am so happy you loved this recipe! xTieghan
LOVE the flavors of this dish. The crispy feta is AMAZING. I did wind up using modifications based on some of the comments and my own experience. I used only 1 can of chickpeas and 1 large zucchini and found that to be a good amount for my family. I removed the chickpeas from the pan before browning the zucchini. I also used mostly dried spices because it was what I had on hand, other than the basil. I wondered if doing the zucchini and chickpeas on a sheet pan might be nice – it would add more time but they might get crispier.
Some tips for the feta for anyone having trouble with it – I sliced them slightly larger (closer to 1/2 inch) and coated a cast-iron pan with a full layer of oil over medium-high heat and let it get nice and hot. The trick is to let the feta get very very brown before flipping. It should feel firm when you slide a spatula under it rather than sticky.
Hi Veronica! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! Thank you for trying it!! xTieghan
Behold. The answer to the problems with melting feta and zuccini that won’t brown properly because the pan is too overcrowded with the chick peas. Watch the video below which I just found on this page but was embedded in the text portion of the recipe. The feta in the video is about 1/2″ thick, not 1/4″ thick as the recipe calls for. 1/4″ thick melted in less than a minute for me and still barely got golden. She also used a cast iron pan which is probably helpful for getting that nice seer. But most importantly, with the zuccini, she REMOVES the chickpeas after cooking them a bit and cooks the zuccini on it’s own until browned! Then adds the chickpeas back in. TA DA!
https://vimeo.com/438308972
Tiegan! Could you please update this recipe so other home chefs can enjoy the delicious results as they were intended?
Your recipes are so flavorful and beautiful – and your food plating and photography are second to none!
Hi Becky! Thank you so much for this and I apologize it is different. I will look into this! I hope you love this recipe!! xTieghan
Hello, can I replace the orzo with regular pasta?
Hey Shemna,
Sure that works! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I tried so many times and pans to brown the feta but it never did. Tips?
Hey Mary Ann,
So sorry you are having issues browning the feta. I would try a super hot cast iron skillet, that works really well for me. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This recipe has all the right ingredients but is so poorly directed I would absolutely not make it again. Sorry! The feta needs to be at twice as thick, and the oil on HIGH heat, or it will fall apart in the pan. The chickpeas need much longer and higher heat to crisp. You are better off roasting them in the oven. If you try to put the zucchini in the pan with the chickpeas, they will never brown and will take a long time to cook, turning the chickpeas to mush. Cooking the orzo first guarantees it will be cold by the time you serve.
The photos are very misleading. I can only assume the ingredients used in the pictures were prepared differently than the recipe recommended.
Hi Rachel! I am sorry this did not turn out as expected, but it is the exact recipe I used for the photos. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know! Otherwise, I hope you enjoy some other recipes of mine! xTieghan
OMG! This was so delicious although I used halloumi instead. It still tastes so good even as leftovers the next day. However, are the chickpeas and courgette meant to be crispy because I could not get them to crisp up even after increasing the cooking time?
Hey Bev,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! I find my cast iron skillets really helps to crisp up the chickpeas. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
I loved this idea and am a huge fan of all your recipes! Seriously, I have made dinners and desserts from HBH for like 5 weeks in a row 🙂 With this one, I had so much trouble with the textures of the chickpeas and zucchini and feta. The feta seemed to crumble and melt in the pan. Maybe because I used a cast iron skillet instead of non-stick? And the chickpeas and zucchini didn’t get crispy – they just got sort of soft any mushy. Everything tasted delicious, and I would love to try it again, but can you share some tips on how to get the textures right on those three elements?
Hey Rachel,
Thanks so much for your kind message and trying so many recipes! I am sorry you had issues with this one. I always use cast iron so I think that was the right move to make pan wise. I think for the feta you want to skillet to be hope enough that is sears each side because any of it starts to break down. Same with the chickpeas and zucchini, a super hot pan helps with the crispiness of these. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
The first time I made this recipe it was such a mess. The feta didn’t crisp and melted right away and the chickpeas were not crisp either. I found the zucchini a bit oily as well. Loved the flavours, however, the textures were off.
We made this last night with the following modifications:
1) Crisped the chickpeas in the oven for 50 minutes at 400.
2) We subbed halloumi instead of feta and skewered it with the zucchini and grilled it.
Loved it with the modifications and will make it a summer regular.
Hi Maddy! I am glad this turned out better for you! Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help! xTieghan
Loved this recipe! I’ve made it a few times now and am a little sick of zucchini. Are there any other veggies you would recommend as a substitute? Thanks!
Hey Christina,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I think broccoli or cauliflower would be a great sub! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I really can’t thank you enough for this recipe! It has kind of changed my life! Xoxo
Thank you so much! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious! Everyone loved this dish, even my 2 year old son! The spiced chickpeas and fried feta are such a nice touch!
Thank you Becca! I am so happy this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
You cannot substitute goat cheese for feta in this recipe! I ended up with a pan full of melted, oily goat cheese that had to go right in the trash, So disappointing. Not sure how it would be using feta.
Hey Barbara,
So sorry you had issues using goat cheese. Unfortunately I wouldn’t recommend using goat cheese as it is much softer than feta. A great substitute that would work well is Halloumi. I hope you have better luck next time! xTieghan
Might be one of my new favorite dishes!! Blown away with how good this is, especially if you have fresh herbs! My boyfriend is not a fan of Mediterranean food but he ate his whole plate. Will definitely be making this again.
Wow that is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much for trying this one, Jackie! xTieghan
Made this tonight… it was amazing even with the few substitutions I did. Used 50% lemon olive oil for the Feta and red pepper hummus in lieu of the yogurt mix.Thank you for the amazing recipes…. I cook HBH 2-3 nights a week and am trying a lot of new recipes during quarantine.
Amazing! I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Julie! Thank you! xTieghan