How To Make Orzo Salad, Tasty And Fresh

• Food: Orzo Salad

• Writer: Alice

• Content-Type: Food Blog

For summer picnics and cookouts, try making this salad recipe! It is bursting with flavor thanks to the feta cheese, olives, and zesty Greek dressing.

This weekend, if you need a last-minute side dish for a barbecue or picnic, try this orzo salad recipe! Like any excellent picnic salad, it’s tasty and fresh, simple to make, and ideal for making ahead of time.

Put it together a few hours to a day ahead of a summer event, and it will still taste delicious.

However, keep this salad recipe in your back pocket even if you aren’t having a barbeque this weekend (or if your meal is ready to go). This recipe is excellent for packing for lunch because it stores so well.

Crispy cucumbers and luscious tomatoes contrast with salty, acidic feta cheese and briny olives. It is hearty and filling thanks to the orzo pasta, chickpeas, and zesty Greek dressing. Delicious.

RECIPE FOR ORZO SALAD INGREDIENTS

You will need the following ingredients to prepare this orzo pasta salad:

• Of course orzo! I adore the way the other ingredients blend and merge with this little pasta shape.
• Cherry tomatoes: For sweet, flavorful bursts.
• Persian cucumbers: They add a crisp, cold flavor.
• Slice the red onions as thinly as you can. If you have a mandoline, I advise utilizing it!
• Kalamata olives: The fresh herbs, cucumbers, and tomatoes complement the salty, saline flavor of the olives.
• Feta cheese: For this dish, omit the pre-crumbled feta. Instead, seek out feta that is sold in blocks, ideally brined. It is SO much better in terms of flavor and texture. The crumbled variety won’t be available ever again!
• Garbanzo beans are one of my favorite legumes to pair with feta cheese and olives from the Mediterranean, so I couldn’t help but include them in my salad. They also give it greater weight.
• Greek salad dressing – For this salad, I add an extra tablespoon of red wine vinegar and a generous squeeze of lemon juice to the dressing to make it extra bright.
• Choose simply one or combine fresh mint and/or basil.
• To make all the flavors pop, add sea salt and fresh black pepper.

While the orzo cools, dice the vegetables, feta, and olives.

After that, combine everything and whisk the dressing. It really is that easy to prepare this salad recipe!

RECIPE ADVICE FOR ORZO SALAD

• Pasta should be cooked just past al dente. I always cook the pasta just past al dente when making a pasta salad so that it will stay tender even after it cools.
• And wait till it cools before adding the vegetables. The tomatoes, cucumber, and onion will start to wilt if you combine the heated orzo with them. Instead, spread the cooked orzo in a uniform layer on a sizable baking sheet, pour some olive oil over it to keep it from sticking, and allow it to cool. Continue with the recipe after it has cooled to room temperature.
• Organize ahead. This salad can be prepared up to a day in advance, but keep the herbs to add just before serving. It’s best to toss them in just before you eat since if they sit in the dressing for too long, they will wilt. In the refrigerator, the salad may also slightly dry out. Before serving, loosen it with a drizzle of olive oil if you feel it needs additional moisture.

SUGGESTIONS FOR SERVING ORZO SALAD

For summer cookouts and picnics, try serving this salad recipe as a side dish. Combine it with various barbecue sides like coleslaw, broccoli salad, potato salad, grilled vegetables, or corn on the cob. Consider creating one of these recipes if you need a main course:

• Best Veggie Burger
• Easy Black Bean Burger
• BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches
• Portobello Mushroom Burger
• Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Save any leftovers for lunch the next day if you have some. The orzo, chickpeas, feta, and olives combine to create a salad that can stand alone as a healthy but filling lunch.

ORZO SALAD

This recipe for salad makes a great vegetarian lunch or side dish. Save the herbs for last-minute addition if you prepare them in advance. Additionally, I advise adding some olive oil to the salad just before serving.

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Obtain a boil in a sizable saucepan of salted water. Pasta should be cooked in accordance with the specifications on the package or until just past al dente. To prevent it from sticking together, drain the orzo and toss it with some olive oil. On a baking sheet, spread out to cool.
2. Red wine vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, and sea salt should be included with the Greek salad dressing when making it.
3. Cooked orzo, tomatoes, cucumbers, chickpeas, feta, red onion, and olives should all be combined in a big bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad, sprinkle with half the herbs and freshly ground black pepper, and toss to combine. Serve with the remaining herbs as a garnish.