This creamy French onion orzo needs no stirring at the stove. It's almost a dump-and-bake recipe: about 10 minutes of prep, then the oven caramelizes the onions and bakes the orzo for you. It's made with just nine ingredients and is completely dairy-free.
I had a lot of onions at home, and I already love French onion pasta, so I thought, why not try it with orzo? It worked beautifully, just as I'd hoped. I wanted a version with minimal ingredients that stays hands-off, and that's exactly what this is.
The onions roast in the oven with rosemary, paprika and a whole bulb of garlic until they're soft, sweet and golden. Then you come back, stir in the orzo, broth and full-fat coconut milk, and it all bakes again into a cozy, creamy dinner.
It takes a while from start to finish, but almost all of that time is hands-off. Most French onion orzo recipes have you stirring onions on the stove for 20 to 60 minutes. Here the oven does that for you, everything bakes in one pot, and there's no cheese or cream needed.
Ingredients & substitution notes
- Onions: Use yellow onions, which turn soft and sweet in the oven. I don't recommend red onions here.
- Garlic: A whole bulb sounds like a lot, but roasting makes it mild and sweet rather than sharp.
- Dried Rosemary: Thyme, the classic French onion soup herb, works as a swap.
- Paprika: Sweet paprika adds warmth and color without heat.
- Broth: I use vegetable broth to keep it vegan. Chicken or beef broth work too, and beef gets you closest to French onion soup. Broths vary in saltiness, so taste at the end and add a pinch more salt if needed.
- Orzo: Sometimes labeled "risoni". I used Barilla, but any brand works. Use it dry, straight from the box. Some brands, like DeLallo, also make gluten-free orzo, but I haven't tested this recipe with it.
- Coconut milk: Use full-fat canned coconut milk from the international aisle, not the thin carton drink. You can't taste the coconut in the finished dish. Not dairy-free? Use half-and-half (lighter) or heavy cream (richer) instead. Use leftover coconut milk in my Red Lentil Dahl with Coconut Milk.
See recipe card for quantities.
Step-by-step photo instructions
Step 1: Toss the onions with the rosemary, paprika, salt, olive oil and a splash of broth. Set the garlic bulb in the middle.
Step 2: Bake uncovered for about 40 minutes. At 30 minutes, cover with foil if the garlic starts to burn, and add ¼ cup broth if the liquid has almost cooked off.
Step 3: Squeeze the roasted cloves into the onions (use tongs or let the bulb cool first) and mix well. Then stir in the orzo, the rest of the broth and the coconut milk.
Step 4: Bake uncovered for another 40 minutes, until the orzo is tender. No stirring needed in either bake; the 30-minute check in step 2 is the only time you open the oven.
Top tips
- Don't cover the onions at the start. I tried roasting them under foil from the beginning, and while they got hot, they didn't brown at all. Leave them uncovered so they get that lovely golden color.
- Use foil only to protect the garlic. If the garlic bulb is browning too much at the 30-minute check, cover the pot with foil for the last 10 minutes.
- Slice the onions evenly. Thin pieces burn before thick ones soften, so try to keep the slices about the same size.
- Make the onions ahead to save time. The roasting is the long part, so you can do it up to 2 days in advance. Squeeze the garlic into the roasted onions, let them cool and keep them covered in the fridge. On the day, stir the orzo, broth and coconut milk straight into the cold onions and bake for about 40 minutes, until the orzo is tender. This is my favorite way to get dinner on the table faster, and it tastes better than freezing and reheating the finished dish.
What to Serve with French Onion Orzo
I like it with a fresh salad on the side and some bread to scoop up the creamy onions. A Spinach Arugula Salad works well (leave out the feta to keep the whole meal dairy-free), and my skillet Vegan Garlic Naan is ready while the orzo finishes in the oven. For more protein, add my Plant-Based Meatballs on the side.
Storage, Freezing and Reheating
- Fridge: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freezer: You can freeze it in airtight containers, but it's not my preferred way because the texture changes. If you want to save time, make the onions ahead instead (see the tips above).
- Reheating: The orzo soaks up liquid as it sits, so reheat it in the microwave with a splash of vegetable broth or coconut milk and stir until creamy again.
More Cozy Dairy-Free Dinners
📖 Recipe
French Onion Orzo
Equipment
- 1 Dutch-oven or baking dish (9x13 inch)
Ingredients
For the onion
- 3 large white onions thinly sliced
- 1 bulb garlic top of the head trimmed off to expose
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 ½ cup vegetable broth, divided
- 2 cups uncooked orzo 400g
- 1 cup 240 ml full-fat coconut milk
Instructions
- Prep the onions. Preheat the oven to 200 °C / 400 °F. In a baking dish, stir together the onions, rosemary, paprika, salt, olive oil and ½ cup of the broth until the onions are evenly coated. Nestle the garlic bulb, cut side up, in the middle of the dish.3 large white onions, 1 bulb garlic, 1 tsp dried rosemary, 2 tsp sweet paprika, 2 tbsp olive oil, 4 ½ cup vegetable broth, divided, ½ tsp salt
- Roast. Bake uncovered for about 40 minutes. Check at the 30-minute mark, and if the onions (and garlic!) are browning too quickly, cover the dish with foil.
- Add the orzo. Take it out of the oven. Once the garlic bulb is cool enough to handle (or using tongs), squeeze the roasted cloves out of their skins into the onions. Add the orzo, the remaining 4 cups of broth and the coconut milk, and give everything a good stir.2 cups uncooked orzo 400g, 1 cup 240 ml full-fat coconut milk
- Bake again. Return the dish to the oven uncovered and bake for another 40 minutes, until the orzo is tender and has absorbed the liquid.
Video
Notes
- Use yellow onions. Red onions aren't recommended for this recipe.
- Use full-fat coconut milk for the creamiest result. You can't taste the coconut. Not dairy-free? Half-and-half or heavy cream works instead.
- Leftovers keep 3-4 days in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave with a splash of vegetable broth or coconut milk. Freezing is possible, but the texture changes.
- To save time, roast the onions up to 2 days ahead and keep them in the fridge.
- Equipment: I use a Dutch oven, but a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) baking dish works too. In a wider, shallower dish the liquid can cook off faster, so don't skip the 30-minute check.
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