MEDITERRANEAN ORZO SALAD RECIPE 

This fresh easy pasta salad comes together so quickly.  It is loaded with so much Mediterranean flavor and pairs well with any menu.  This pasta salad is great served cold, so it’s a perfect make ahead dish.

This pasta salad is one of my favorites as a main meal or great served as a side for any menu. It’s so refreshing and a great way to use up many of your pantry staples. 

WHAT IS ORZO?

Orzo is a shortcut pasta that is shaped like a grain of rice. You can easily find this in the pasta aisle of your grocery store. You cook it just like any other pasta following the box instructions. I find this pasta not very heavy like other types of pasta. 

WHAT’S IN THIS MEDITERRANEAN ORZO SALAD? 

If you love eating fresh, then many of these salad ingredients may already be stocked in your fridge or pantry. Below are the ingredients I used in this salad: 

• Orzo pasta
• Bell pepper
• Red onion
• Grape vine tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Olives
• Feta cheese
• Sun Dried tomatoes
• Fresh dill
• Fresh parsley 

VINAIGRETTE 

• Olive oil
• Red wine vinegar
• Lemon
• Garlic
• Dry oregano
• Salt & pepper

There is no hard-and-fast rule for these types of salads. You can easily swap out any of the above ingredients for: 

• Other short pasta like bowtie, penne or elbow
• Chickpeas, couscous or quinoa 
• Mix of greens like spinach, arugula 
• Grilled chicken or shrimp
• Avocado 

LEFTOVERS & STORAGE

This pasta tastes great as leftovers. Store in an airtight container and it’s good for about 3-5 days. Since it has cheese you want to make sure you refrigerate it soon after serving.

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MEDITERRANEAN ORZO SALAD RECIPE

5 from 2 votes

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 8

This fresh, easy pasta salad comes together so quickly.  It is loaded with so much Mediterranean flavor and pairs well with any menu. This pasta salad is great served cold, so it's a perfect make ahead dish.

Ingredients

• 1 cup orzo pasta (uncooked)
• 1 green bell pepper (chopped)
• 1 small red onion (diced)
• 1 cup grape vine tomatoes (halved)
• 1/2 large English cucumber (chopped)
• 1/2 cup mixed olives (pitted/sliced)
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes (sliced)
• small bunch fresh dill (chopped)
• small bunch fresh parsley (chopped)

VINAIGRETTE

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar (see notes for substitute)
• 1/2 lemon (juiced)
• 1 garlic clove (finely minced)
• 1 tsp. dry oregano
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt (adjust salt to taste)

Instructions 

• Boil the pasta according to package instructions. After draining the pasta just drizzle some olive oil so it does not stick together. Set aside and allow it to cool. You don't want to add hot pasta to all the veggies.
• Transfer the cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped veggies, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and herbs.
• In a small bowl whisk all the vinaigrette ingredients. Make sure to taste and adjust any of the flavorings.
• Drizzle the vinaigrette on the salad and toss until well combined. Lastly add the crumbled feta cheese and toss to mix. You don't want to over mix the feta cheese. Give a taste and adjust any flavors like the lemon juice, salt and pepper.
• Garnish with extra feta cheese and herbs. Serve cold.

Video

Author: Shazia

Course: SIDE

Cuisine: GREEK, Mediterranean