Greek Orzo Pasta Salad – Healthy Seasonal Recipes

This Orzo Greek Pasta Salad comes collectively in simply half-hour and requires solely a few simple steps. Merely toss collectively cooked orzo pasta with a tangy lemon garlic French dressing and a beneficiant handful of chopped contemporary dill and mint. Then all that’s left to do is so as to add in crumbled feta cheese, contemporary cherry tomatoes, chopped cucumbers, pink onion and black Greek olives. Serve it as a facet dish for a summer time picnic, barbecue or cookout.

Why We Love This Recipe For Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

In relation to pasta salads, I really like all of them! I really like basic creamy pasta salads like this Healthy Macaroni Salad and this Pasta Salad with Ham and Peas in addition to these with taste inspiration discovered from across the globe like this Healthy Italian Pasta Salad, and this Mexican Pasta Salad too!

This Greek Orzo Pasta Salad falls into the latter class. To make it, I used substances impressed by a conventional Greek Salad and turned them right into a pasta salad!

I’m so glad I did as a result of that is going to be my new go-to this summer time! This pasta salad is quick, flavorful and so easy to make! It’s made with orzo pasta, cucumber, tomatoes, and onion, with tangy feta cheese and Greek black olives.

To make this simple pasta salad, merely boil the orzo pasta and chop up the veggies. Then stir along with a easy lemon and herb French dressing. What you get is a scrumptious facet for a summer time picnic, barbecue or cookout. Pair with Garlic Herb Grilled Chicken or Shrimp and Kebabs or with Grilled Za’atar Chicken Burgers!

Key Elements for this Recipe

Orzo

Orzo is Italian rice-shaped Pasta generally used for soups, like Italian Wedding Soup or Minestrone. It’s also generally seen in rice pilaf. Search for it within the pasta aisle in small 1-pound packing containers. Sometimes you will discover whole-wheat orzo which it’s the more healthy choice. You’ll want 1 1/2 cup of dry orzo, which is about 11 ounces. 

Contemporary Veggies

For this recipe, I’ve used cherry tomatoes, chopped pink onion and European cucumbers, all conventional for a Greek Salad. I like to cut the cucumber into fairly small pices and finely cube the onion. Because the pasta is so small, I discover that the smaller veggies mix in higher with the pasta.

Feta Cheese

With a salty and barely tangy style, Feta is a Greek brined curd cheese made primarily from sheep’s milk, although it may be made with cow’s milk or goat milk. Feta is historically served as a desk cheese, in Greek salads, and pastries – like phyllo-based dishes akin to Spinach and Feta Filo Pie.

You will have to go to the artisanal cheese part of the grocery shops to search out it, and it might be both already crumbled or in a piece packed in water or just in plastic. For those who purchase it in a piece, you’ll have to crumble it previous to including it to the dish.

Black Olives

These small however scrumptious additions to this salad are a no brainer due to their Greek origin. Their delicate saltiness subtly brings out the opposite flavors of the dish. Search for Greek olives (not ripe California olives that are too delicate.) Calamata (or Kalamata Olives) are widespread Greek olives.

You’ll have to take away the pits earlier than including them to the salad, so if you will discover a jar of pitted olives that can prevent a step!

Lemon Juice and Olive Oil

Contemporary squeezed lemon juice is finest, and olive oil is unquestionably a go-to for including fats right into a dressing. See my assortment of healthy salad dressings for extra hints and tricks to make them.

Herbs and Seasoning

To amp up the flavors on this Mediterranean Orzo Salad recipe, I used contemporary chopped dill and mint. And to offer the dressing basic Greek Salad Dressing taste I used dried oregano. A should for my part! Plus the requisite salt and pepper.

Step By Step Directions To Make This Recipe

Step 1:

Deliver a big pot of calmly salted water to a boil. Cook dinner orzo in response to bundle directions.

Word: orzo in pasta salad is finest when it’s absolutely cooked and never cooked al dente. So style it earlier than you drain the pasta.

Drain via a fine-mesh sieve and rinse with chilly water. Drain completely.

Step 2:

Whisk lemon, garlic, olive oil, dill, mint, oregano, salt and pepper in a big mixing bowl. 

Step 3:

Add the pasta to the dressing and toss to coat. 

Step 4:

Add tomatoes, cucumber, feta, olives and pink onion and toss to mix. Serve instantly at room temperature for the very best texture and taste. After all, should you want a chilly pasta salad, you may chill it earlier than serving.

FAQs and Knowledgeable Ideas

Variations To Strive

• As an alternative of orzo you should utilize one other sort of small pasta. Merely weigh out 11 ounces.
• For a gluten-free choice you may substitute cooked quinoa for the orzo.
• Add in diced cooked rooster and function a foremost course.
• Use pink wine vinegar as a substitute of contemporary lemon juice within the dressing.
• Combine up the contemporary greens: Strive including diced bell peppers as a substitute of tomatoes. Add in artichoke Hearts or Chopped roasted pink peppers with the opposite veggies. Or use inexperienced onion as a substitute of the pink onion.

Further Recipes To Strive

Thanks a lot for studying. In case you are new right here, it’s your decision to join my free weekly email newsletter the place I share weeknight meal plans delivered proper to your inbox. Or observe me on Instagram. For those who make this recipe, please come again and go away a star ranking and evaluation! It is rather appreciated. Joyful Cooking! ~Katie

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