Jane Goodall’s Veggie-Packed Orzo Salad Recipe

Jane Goodall, animal rights campaigner and chimpanzee expert, died today at the age of 91. Her legacy as a tireless advocate for the natural world, and her work for its protection and restoration will live on. 

Part of her work included promoting eating vegan as a way to help curb the environmental impact of eating meat—back in 2021, the Jane Goodall Institute even released a vegan cookbook, called #EATMEATLESS, filled with “planet-friendly” recipes inspired by Goodall’s work. While promoting the book, Goodall sat down with cookbook author and journalist Mark Bittman to talk about her vegetarianism and her work.

She also shared a couple of recipes from the book, including a simple but flavorful Grilled Squash and Orzo Salad with Pine Nuts. The recipe uses seasonal squash, so it’s perfect for the transition from summer into fall. The recipe calls for two pounds of yellow squash and zucchini, but pattypans or other rare squash would work nicely in the dish as well. The secret to success with this and other squash recipes is grilling the squash so you get a nice sear and some smoky flavor. 

After preheating the grill, prep the squash by cutting it into ¼ inch thick slices, then toss in olive oil, salt and pepper. Use a grill basket so pieces of squash don’t fall into the fire, or opt to lay the slices across the grate and watch them carefully. Grill for five to eight minutes before removing the squash from heat. The squash should be supple enough to be easily pierced by a fork. Cut the slices into 1 ½ inch pieces, and set them aside while you make the rest of the salad.  

Boil and salt your water and then cook your orzo according to the package directions. For a little more fiber and different texture, the recipe recommends using whole-wheat orzo. 

While the orzo is cooking, toss pine nuts over the stove until they’ve taken on some color and are fragrant. This should take about four minutes. Let them cool on a plate to the side while you assemble the salad. 

Combine the squash and cooked orzo in a bowl with a tablespoon of olive oil, some lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. Add the cooled pine nuts and toss to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed. Then garnish the finished salad with mint and serve right away, while warm. While some orzo salads taste great cool, the squash will retain its flavor and texture better if eaten right away. 

Orzo, the short, rice-like pasta, is a versatile base for warm and cool dishes. To keep this dish vegetarian, you can add in some chickpeas or white beans for a simple way to add protein. And if you’re up for more cooking, you could even toss in our Soy-Lime Roasted Tofu or Honey-Chipotle Tofu Bites. 

If you’re looking for a way to honor Goodall’s legacy and mission, eating meatless—or even just eating meat less, as one of Goodall’s slogans goes—is a simple way to do just that.