Southwestern Orzo Salad
I adore a crisp, light orzo salad topped with any and all vegetables. Tossed with a zesty, lemony dressing, this one may be served as a side dish with grilled shrimp skewers, grilled fish, or burgers, or it can form a gorgeous salad for the main course. Not to mention that it’s simple to prepare ahead of time, pack in a cooler, and bring to cookouts, picnics, and tailgates!
What’s in Mediterranean orzo salad?
Cherry tomatoes (yellow and red), red onion, garbanzo beans (yum!), kalamata olives, feta cheese, and parsley! Other varieties of olives and herbs would be great too. Oh, and diced cucumber! Toss in anything you want.
How long can orzo salad sit out?
Foods shouldn’t sit out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if the temperature is 90 degrees or above. (Thanks Food and Drug Administration!) If you’re planning to take this salad to any sort of hot, outdoor get-together, it might be a good idea to skip the feta cheese. It’ll still taste delicious without it!
Is orzo a pasta or rice?
It may have a similar shape and look to rice, but orzo is a pasta. So, consider this a pasta salad!YIELDS:12 serving(s)PREP TIME:2 hrsTOTAL TIME:2 hrs
Ingredients
- 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 whole lemon, juiced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 12 oz. orzo pasta, cooked, drained, and cooled
- 1 c. red grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1 c. yellow grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1 c. kalamata olives, halved
- 1 c. crumbled feta cheese (optional), plus more to serve
- 1 c. chickpeas, drained.
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 3 tbsp. minced fresh parsley, plus more to serve
See Nutritional Information
Directions
SAVE RECIPE
- 1In a jar or bowl, mix together the oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper until totally combined.
- 2To a large mixing bowl, add the orzo and all other ingredients. Pour the dressing over the top and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Top with more feta, if using, and parsley just before serving.
I love a good orzo salad, and this is one of my favorites because it’s tangy and fresh and there are approximately fourteen million fun ingredients…so it goes with pretty much everything!
You know what Confucius always said: “There’s just something about that orzo!”
First, make the delicious dressing (alliteration alert): Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a jar…
And shake it for approximately 38.5736222 seconds to combine. Give or take a year.
Place the cooked, cooled orzo into a large bowl with all the other ingredients. As you can see, there are so many “other ingredients” that you can barely see the poor orzo, but trust me…it’s there! You can see it peeking out from beneath the tomatoes.
I added tomatoes (yellow and red), red onion, garbanzo beans (yum!), pitted kalamata olives, feta cheese, and parsley! But you can add cucumbers, other olives…anything you want.
Oh, and a note about orzo. It grows when it cooks, man! Seriously, you can start with just a tiny little container of the stuff and pretty soon you have to move out of your house because the orzo has taken over. So just be sure to gauge how much orzo you have relative to the other ingredients, and adjust according to your taste or mood or astrological sign.
Pour over the dressing and toss it all together, making sure it’s all combined. Then it’s always nice to pop it in the fridge for at least an hour, just to let all the flavors meld. Oh, and give it a taste.
When you serve it, throw a little more feta on top for good luck. Or good measure. Or good will. Or all of the above!
And a little extra parsley makes it even purtier.
Variations
•Add Parmesan shavings
•Add diced grilled chicken
•Add sliced cucumbers
Serve with:
•Burgers
•Grilled Chicken
•Grilled Vegetables
•Roasted chicken legs for a picnic
Here’s the handy dandy printable!
