French Onion Orzo

Prep the ingredients

• Peel and chop the onion. Peel and crush the garlic.
• Prepare the vegetable stock cube according to the packet instructions, using 125ml water per person (so if you’re cooking for 4, you’ll need 500ml).

Cook the base

• Heat a dash of oil in a medium sized pan over a medium heat. Tip the onion into the pan and season with a pinch of salt (the salt helps the onion to break down and cook more quickly).
• Cook the onion over a low heat until soft, around 15 - 20 minutes. For the best results give this step time - you don’t need to constantly stir the onion, you can leave it on a low heat and check it every so often. Cooking the onion low and slow like this helps it to release its natural sweetness.
• Once the onion is soft, stir in the crushed garlic and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the miso paste and cook over a medium heat while stirring to avoid the onions burning. Cook the onions for another 3 - 4 minutes. At this stage they should have turned a darker brown colour.

Add the orzo & finish the dish

• Tip the orzo into the pan and coat it in the onions, mixing well. Cook the orzo in the pan for a few minutes, allowing it to turn lightly golden brown. By toasting the orzo you’re also adding extra flavour to it.
• Pour in the vegetable stock, turn the heat down and let the orzo simmer gently until cooked. This should take around 10 - 12 minutes. During this time stir the orzo every so often, topping up with more stock or water if it needs it.
• Meanwhile, grate the Parmesan. Taste the French Onion orzo and adjust the seasoning to taste. Stir in half the grated Parmesan . You can use Gruyère cheese instead if you prefer.

Plate up

• Plate up the French Onion orzo and scatter over the rest of the Parmesan and enjoy.