A light dish with a bright citrus accent
This recipe combines simplicity of preparation and original taste. Thanks to orange juice, vegetables acquire a pleasant sweet-sour note, and delicate mushrooms and leeks make the dish richer. It is a great side dish for meat or an independent light dish that can be served even on a festive table.
This dish combines simplicity and unusual taste without too much effort. Vegetables in orange juice is exactly the case when a minimum of ingredients gives a really interesting result. Thanks to the citrus note, the dish is fresh, light and at the same time quite rich.
This recipe is easy to change to your liking. For example, instead of mushrooms, you can use broccoli or green beans. If you want a more satisfying option, add pieces of chicken fillet or tofu.
You can also replace the orange with tangerines – the taste will be gentler and a little sweeter.
Cooking time: about 20 minutes
Calorie content: approximately 70-90 kcal per 100 g
Ingredients
- Carrots – 1–2 pcs.
- Leek (white part) – 1 stem
- Mini mushrooms – 100–150 g
- Orange – 1 pc.
- Salt, ground black pepper – to your taste
- Parsley – for decoration
Cooking vegetables in orange juice
First, prepare the vegetables: cut carrots into neat cubes, leeks into thick rings. Mushrooms can be quickly washed or simply wiped with a paper towel so that they do not absorb excess moisture.
Squeeze the juice from the orange. Pour it into a saucepan and add carrots. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes – during this time it will become a little softer and absorb the citrus aroma.
After that, add mushrooms and leeks. Continue to simmer for another 3 minutes. It is important not to overcook the vegetables so that they retain a slight crunch. At the end, add salt, pepper and gently mix.
Before serving, sprinkle the dish with fresh herbs. It tastes best hot, but it remains very pleasant even warm.
Tips
If you want a richer taste, try adding a little butter at the end of cooking – this will make the texture softer. I also sometimes add a pinch of dried thyme or rosemary—they go well with the orange.
It is important to choose sweet and juicy oranges, because the balance of taste depends on them. If the fruit is sour, you can add a pinch of sugar or a little honey.
What to serve with
The dish is perfect as a side dish for baked meat, chicken or fish. It can also be served as an independent light dinner or as an addition to cereals – rice, couscous or bulgur.
The prepared dish can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in an airtight container. Before serving, it is better to warm it slightly in a pan or in the microwave. However, freshly prepared vegetables remain the tastiest in orange juice.
This recipe is a great example of how simple products can be made into something interesting. Try to cook it and maybe it will become one of your favorites.
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