This Greek Orzo Salad recipe is a light-weight and flavorful pasta salad that’s scrumptious as a facet dish or most important dish. It’d be good with something you’re grilling this summer season!
Greek Orzo Salad
This straightforward Greek Orzo Salad is much like my Greek Pasta Salad however with orzo and smaller diced veggies. I like orzo for pasta salads–its form is nice with diced veggies like cucumbers, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Greek flavors like feta cheese and kalamata olives add the right zest. And for extra wholesome pasta salad recipes, don’t miss my Grilled Vegetable Orzo Pasta Salad or Italian Pasta Salad.
Why I Love This Orzo Pasta Salad
I entertain loads within the summer season, and pasta salads are a should after we grill. Whether or not celebrating Memorial Day or the Fourth of July or simply having mates over, you’ll be able to by no means go unsuitable with Greek orzo pasta salad as a result of everybody loves it. It makes sufficient for a celebration, it’s straightforward to make, and leftovers are nice for lunch. I like utilizing orzo in pasta salads, the form is ideal for salads which have small veggies and goes nice with something you’re grilling.
- Vegetarian: This filling facet dish is appropriate for each meat-eaters and vegetarians. To make it vegan, omit the feta.
- Price range-Pleasant: This orzo pasta salad doesn’t have meat, making it reasonably priced for serving a big crowd.
- Loaded with Veggies: This wholesome orzo salad makes use of 4 colourful greens, which comprise many nutritional vitamins and minerals.
What’s Greek Orzo Salad?
Greek orzo salad is a refreshing pasta salad made with orzo, a rice-shaped pasta produced from durum wheat. It’s in style for its brilliant, zesty flavors which will be served as a facet dish or most important.
Components
Right here’s every thing you will want to make this Orzo Salad. See actual measurements within the recipe card beneath.
- Greek Orzo Salad Dressing: This French dressing consists of purple wine vinegar, lemon juice, and olive oil, which is seasoned with garlic powder, oregano, and salt.
- Orzo Pasta: The bottom of this salad. Use wheat, or gluten-free orzo. When you can’t discover orzo, ditalini or acini di pepe can be nice.
- Olives: Kalamata olives add a briny taste. I additionally add some brine to the pasta for a salty, savory taste.
- Greens: Cube purple onion, English cucumber, grape or cherry tomatoes, and orange bell pepper into small items. This vegetable combo provides a rainbow of coloration. Be happy to make use of yellow or purple bell pepper as an alternative.
- Feta Cheese completes this orzo salad with its mushy texture and salty style.
- Recent Oregano is an optionally available garnish, however it provides a burst of freshness. You can too use recent dill or parsley as an alternative.
The way to Make Greek Orzo Salad
This straightforward orzo salad comes collectively fast as soon as all of the components are prepped. Right here’s the step-by-step photographs (see full recipe in recipe card beneath).
- Prepare dinner the Orzo: For the reason that flavors can get muted in chilly pasta salad and the noodles can harden as they cool, I wish to cook dinner the orzo till mushy, slightly than al dente.
- Drain and rinse the orzo underneath chilly water to chill it.
- Orzo Salad Dressing: Whisk the 6 French dressing components in a big bowl.
- Remaining Components: Put the olives, purple onion, and brine within the bowl, after which stir within the pasta and different greens.
- The way to Serve: Combine within the feta proper earlier than serving and garnish with recent oregano.
Variations
- Protein: Add shrimp or hen for further protein, or to maintain this Greek orzo salad vegetarian, stir in a can of chickpeas.
- Olives: Swap kalamatas with Castelvetrano olives.
- Cucumber: When you use an everyday cucumber, peel the pores and skin and scoop out the seeds earlier than dicing it.
- Further Veggies: Cube child spinach.
- Vinegar: Substitute white wine vinegar.
- Pasta Salad Dressing: Add a teaspoon or two of Dijon mustard for some tang.
- Can’t eat cheese? Omit the feta.
- Herbs: Swap oregano with basil, parsley, or dill.
What to Serve with Orzo Pasta Salad
Storage
- Meal Prep: Pasta salad is greatest chilled for at the least an hour earlier than consuming, making it wonderful for meal prep and serving at events. The flavors meld, and the pasta absorbs the dressing.
- Too Dry? If it appears dry after refrigerating, toss it with a bit extra dressing earlier than serving.
- Storage: This Mediterranean orzo salad will last as long as 4 days within the fridge.
Extra Pasta Salad Recipes You’ll Love
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Convey a big pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the orzo and cook dinner in response to package deal instructions for al dente, including an additional minute.
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Drain and rinse underneath chilly water, drain.
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In the meantime, In a big bowl, mix the dressing components. Add the olives, purple onion and brine from the olives and blend to mix.
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Stir within the pasta with the cucumber, tomatoes and bell pepper and toss effectively. Style for salt and alter as wanted.
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Add the cheese simply earlier than able to serve.
Final Step:
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Serving: 3 /4 cup, Energy: 173 kcal, Carbohydrates: 24 g, Protein: 5 g, Fats: 6 g, Saturated Fats: 1 g, Ldl cholesterol: 4 mg, Sodium: 112 mg, Fiber: 1.5 g, Sugar: 2 g
