Garides Youvetsi - Shrimp with Feta and Orzo
This one-pot shrimp and orzo dish is the perfect comfort food! It’s traditionally made with meat but I wanted to make this as a vegetarian option and it has become a huge hit with my family. The orzo is slowly cooked and becomes silky smooth which plays beautifully with the hearty shrimp. You sprinkle the feta on top and place it in your oven for a couple of minutes until the cheese partially melts and becomes caramelized, making this dish perfect for the colder weather. This recipe is perfect if your pressed for time but still want to enjoy a warm, cozy, homey meal.
Garides Youvetsi
Servings: 4-6 people
24 medium shrimp, peeled & deveine
1/3 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup parsley, plus more for garnish*
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 bay leaf
2 cups orzo
4 cups vegetable broth, divided
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
Turn on your oven to 375 degrees.
With the flame on medium, add the olive oil to a heavy bottom pot that is oven safe. Add the diced onion to the pot and cook the onion until it begins to soften, 3-4 minutes. You’ll want to stir it every so often so the onion does not color. I like to add some salt at this stage to help pull some moisture from the onion which helps break it down.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute or so. You don’t want the garlic to turn brown or it will turn bitter so continue to stir it and cook just until it becomes fragrant.
Pour in the white wine and bring it to a boil. Let it boil for just about 1 minute and then add in the tomato sauce, parsley, cayenne pepper and bay leaf.
Bring the tomato sauce to a boil. Taste the tomato sauce and add salt and pepper to your taste.
Once the tomato sauce comes to a boil, pour in the orzo and stir.
Add in 2 cups of broth and stir. Lower the heat to low and bring the sauce to a boil. You don’t want the flame too high or else the orzo will get stuck to the bottom of the pot.
Cover the pot for 10 minutes so the orzo can cook. Continue to stir frequently so the orzo does not get stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Uncover the pot and add in the remaining 2 cups of broth. Stir everything together and cover again to cook for another 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, taste the orzo. If the orzo is not al-dente you can add a little water for the orzo to continue cooking. If you add water, bring everything to a boil and taste again. Cook until the orzo is to your liking. Do not overcook the orzo or it will become mushy.
Add the peeled, deveined shrimp to the pot and stir together. Submerge the shrimp into the liquid to ensure it cooks. The shrimp will be done when they’re fully pink. If they orzo begins to look dry you can add a little more water.
Once the shrimp is done cooking, turn the heat off. Sprinkle the crumbled feta over the top of the orzo. Place your pot into your broiler and cook for 7-8 minutes until the feta begins to melt and caramelize. If you don’t have a broiler, put the pot in a 375 degree oven.
Chop some of the remaining parsley and sprinkle it over the top as garnish.
*This recipe also works well with basil! Use what you have/what you like and it’ll be perfect.
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