Mediterranean Orzo Salad – Learn Like a Pro : Fake feta, an abundance of crunchy veggies, fresh herbs, and a zesty Greek dressing combine in this simple Mediterranean orzo salad dish. For your next picnic, make this nutritious pasta salad, or make it ahead of time for dinner! The next day is much better.
Mediterranean Orzo Salad – Learn Like a Pro
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup dry orzo pasta
- 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 green onions, trimmed and chopped (both white and green parts)
- ½ green bell pepper, seeds removed, chopped
- 1 cup packed chopped fresh parsley, about 1 ½ ounces
- ½ cup packed chopped fresh dill, about 0.5 ounces
- ¼ cup sliced pitted kalamata olives, about 1 ounce
- 2 teaspoons capers
- Feta cheese, to your liking
For The Dressing
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon oregano
Instructions
As directed on the package, cook the orzo pasta (my took around 8 minutes). After draining, briefly chill.
Gather the grape tomatoes, green onions, bell peppers, parsley, dill, olives, and capers in a sizable mixing bowl; set aside the feta for now. Pasta orzo should be added.
Prepare the dressing. Lemon juice, zest, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, oregano, and a generous dose of kosher salt and black pepper should all be combined in a small bowl. Mix by whisking.
Once the orzo pasta is thoroughly covered with the dressing, pour the dressing over the salad and toss until completely incorporated.
Add some creamy feta cheese slices on top. For a short while, cover and chill before
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Notes
To maximize the flavor of the orzo salad, combine it with the pasta while it’s still somewhat warm to allow it to fully absorb the dressing’s ingredients. To enable the flavors to merge, cover and chill for a few hours, or up to an hour, before serving.
Serving recommendations: This is a Mediterranean-style orzo salad that goes well with chicken and lamb as well as salmon and scallops.
How to preserve leftover food: Orzo salad leftovers can be refrigerated for two to three days if stored in an airtight container. After serving,
Make sure to chill any leftovers if they have feta sprinkled on top.
Browse premium Mediterranean ingredients, such as extra virgin olive oils and spices, in our online store.
Nutrition
- Calories: 111.1kcal
- Carbohydrates: 6.9g
- Protein: 1.7g
- Saturated Fat: 1.4g
- Cholesterol: 0.4mg
- Sodium: 39.4mg
- Potassium: 324.4mg
- Fiber: 2.3g
- Vitamin A: 1878.2IU
- Vitamin C: 45.9mg
- Calcium: 42.7mg
- Iron: 1.5mg
Orzo pasta salad tips for success
While this pasta salad recipe is fairly fuss-free, I have a few tips that make all the difference in flavor!
For best flavor, dress the orzo while still somewhat warm. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it well and let it cool briefly. But don’t let it cool completely – it’s good if the pasta is still a little bit warm when you toss the salad together. Somewhat warm pasta will drink up the lemony dressing and absorb the flavors well.
Chop the tomatoes and vegetables into small chunks of similar size. The smaller bites will distribute better in the pasta and will create the perfect texture.
Use fresh herbs. When it comes to parsley, use some of the stems as well as the leaves – they pack huge flavor. . If you need to, you can use dried herbs. Keep in mind that dried dill maintains flavor well while dried parsley is much more muted and best used as a garnish. If you’re swapping dry herbs for fresh, the general rule of thumb is to use ⅓ the amount called for in the recipe.
Use some lemon zest in the dressing for even more zippy lemony flavor.
Allow the salad to rest in the fridge for about an hour before serving. This will allow the flavors to meld. If you don’t have a whole hour, even a few minutes will help.
