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Middle Eastern Chicken, Halloumi & Orzo Bowl

The one that rocked. Orzo cooked down into the pan juices until it goes glossy and risotto-ish, harissa and ras el hanout doing the heavy lifting, squeaky golden halloumi on top. Comfort food that happens to be 50g of protein.

serves 2 25 mins dinner favourite one-pan spicy
Middle Eastern Chicken, Halloumi & Orzo Bowl

why it works

Roughly 540 kcal and 50g of protein a portion with about 4g of saturated fat, which is the whole trick — the richness comes from starch and spice rather than cream or oil. Chickpeas and green beans bring the soluble fibre that actually binds cholesterol, and light grilling cheese gives you the salty, squeaky hit for a fraction of the saturated fat of real halloumi.

Ingredients

  • 100g dry orzo
  • 300–350g chicken breast mini-fillets, diced
  • 6–8 slices light Cypriot grilling cheese (light halloumi)
  • 1 tin chickpeas or butter beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 red onion, sliced
  • 1 large punnet cherry tomatoes, left whole
  • 150g green beans, trimmed and chopped into thirds
  • 2 big handfuls fresh spinach
  • 1.5 tsp ras el hanout
  • 1–2 tbsp harissa paste
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • salt, black pepper, light cooking spray

Method

  1. Boil the orzo in salted water for 8–9 minutes until al dente. Drain it, but save 2 tablespoons of the starchy pasta water — that's what brings the sauce together at the end. Set aside.

  2. Get a large non-stick pan hot with a light mist of oil and fry the grilling cheese slices for 1–2 minutes a side until golden and crisp at the edges. Lift them out onto a plate. They go back on right at the end, not into the mix.

  3. Same hot pan: diced chicken, sliced red onion, green beans. Sprinkle over the ras el hanout, garlic, salt and pepper. Fry for 5–6 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the onions have softened.

  4. Throw in the cherry tomatoes whole. Another 2–3 minutes until the skins burst and release their juices into the pan.

  5. Lower the heat. Add the drained orzo, the reserved splash of pasta water, the harissa, the chickpeas and the spinach. Toss for 1–2 minutes until the spinach wilts and the orzo drinks up all the spiced pan juices and goes glossy.

  6. Kill the heat and squeeze the lemon over the whole pan. Divide between two bowls and lay the golden cheese on top.

remix

  • Swap the orzo for bulgur — better whole grain, more fibre, less comfort. See [Bulgur Wheat & Red Lentil Blend](/recipes/bulgur-and-red-lentil-blend/)
  • Courgette in place of the green beans works exactly as well
  • No ras el hanout? A heavy teaspoon of cumin plus a pinch of cinnamon gets you most of the way
  • Leave the cheese out entirely and finish with 0% Greek yogurt stirred through off the heat
  • Double the harissa. It is far more forgiving than raw garlic and this dish can take it