Everyone loves a crispy rice salad. Crispy carbs in a salad, what's not to love? This version uses orzo and perfectly balances sweet peaches with sticky roasted tomatoes, herbs and the crisp toasted orzo.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees, 180 fan.
Cook the orzo in generously salted water, according to packet instructions. Once cooked, drain and rinse with cold water. Drain thoroughly.
Tip the cooked orzo onto a baking tray and drizzle with plenty of olive oil. Season with a pinch of salt then roast for around 35-40 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Half way through, removed and stir to make sure they brown evenly.
Dress the tomatoes and bulb of garlic on a baking tray. Place the garlic cut side down then place the tray in the oven and roast until the tomatoes are wrinkled and jammy, around 20-25 minutes.
Allow the garlic to cool before squeezing over a big mixing bowl to remove the tender roasted cloves. Crush into a paste with the back of a fork then add the mustard, vinegar, pul biber, lemon juice and zest, tomato cooking juices and salt and pepper. Gradually stir in the olive oil until a nice emulsified dressing forms.
Remove the crispy orzo from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
Add the peach slices, tomatoes, red onion (drained if soaking), herbs and cooled orzo into the mixing bowl with the dressing and toss everything together until fully coated.
Top with spoonfuls of stracciatella or some kind of soft vegan cheese, more extra virgin olive oil, extra flecks of lemon zest, some pul biber. Enjoy!
