This Greek Orzo Salad recipe is a light-weight and flavorful pasta salad that’s scrumptious as a aspect dish or 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 really 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 rather a lot within the summer season, and pasta salads are a should once we grill. Whether or not celebrating Memorial Day or the Fourth of July or simply having associates over, you may by no means go mistaken 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 really 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 aspect 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 include 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 standard for its vibrant, zesty flavors which might be served as a aspect dish or important.
Substances
Right here’s all the things 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. For those who 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 shade. Be at liberty to make use of yellow or purple bell pepper as a substitute.
- Feta Cheese completes this orzo salad with its gentle texture and salty style.
- Recent Oregano is an non-compulsory garnish, nevertheless it provides a burst of freshness. You may as well use contemporary dill or parsley as a substitute.
Easy methods to Make Greek Orzo Salad
This straightforward orzo salad comes collectively fast as soon as all of the substances are prepped. Right here’s the step-by-step photographs (see full recipe in recipe card beneath).
- Prepare dinner the Orzo: Because the flavors can get muted in chilly pasta salad and the noodles can harden as they cool, I wish to prepare dinner the orzo till gentle, quite than al dente.
- Drain and rinse the orzo beneath chilly water to chill it.
- Orzo Salad Dressing: Whisk the 6 French dressing substances in a big bowl.
- Remaining Substances: Put the olives, purple onion, and brine within the bowl, after which stir within the pasta and different greens.
- Easy methods to Serve: Combine within the feta proper earlier than serving and garnish with contemporary oregano.
Variations
- Protein: Add shrimp or rooster for further protein, or to maintain this Greek orzo salad vegetarian, stir in a can of chickpeas.
- Olives: Swap kalamatas with Castelvetrano olives.
- Cucumber: For those who use a daily cucumber, peel the pores and skin and scoop out the seeds earlier than dicing it.
- Additional 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 finest chilled for at the very 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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Deliver a big pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the orzo and prepare dinner in accordance with package deal instructions for al dente, including an additional minute.
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Drain and rinse beneath chilly water, drain.
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In the meantime, In a big bowl, mix the dressing substances. 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
