Garden Greek Orzo Salad
Fresh And Easy Greek Orzo Salad
Give those picnic and cookout goers something to talk about with this loaded Greek Orzo Salad.
Brimming with colors and flavors, this cold pasta creation features Greek-inspired flavors along with crisp, fresh veggies tossed with the small but mighty orzo pasta. Where once the tiny pasta, or pastina, was known mostly for showing up in soups, these days orzo lights up pasta salad recipes and cheesy side dishes. There isn’t much it can’t do!
Briny, tart Calamata olives, fresh herbs and a lemony balsamic vinaigrette are a perfect balance to crisp cucumbers, yellow bell peppers and juicy cherry tomatoes. The addition of chickpeas, along with the orzo pasta, make this cold pasta salad heartier and more filling. Greek Orzo Salad is a great recipe to wow neighbors at the next backyard barbecue or potluck. But you don’t need a special occasion to bust out this Greek orzo recipe. It’s super simple to make, so whip some up for a poolside snack, a summertime side dish or even a packable lunch for the office.
What Is Greek Orzo Salad?
Greek Orzo Salad is cold pasta salad made with the small rice-shaped pasta, Orzo, and a colorful cast of Greek flavors and fresh veggies. Some common ingredients for Greek Orzo Salad include Kalamata olives, feta cheese, English cucumber, grape or cherry tomatoes, red onion, bell peppers, fresh herbs. The best way to dress a Greek Orzo Salad is a light and tangy vinaigrette dressing made with a top-quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil, fresh lemon juice and red wine vinegar or a sweet Golden Balsamic Vinegar.
Why You’ll Love This Greek Orzo Salad Recipe
What isn’t to love about this Greek Orzo Salad recipe? If you’re like us, we’re always looking for a way to shake up our summer pasta salads. Going Greek is a great way to get in all those briny, tart, tangy, lemony, herby flavors in one cold pasta salad recipe. This orzo salad is super simple to make, so it’s great for last-minute cookouts and quick lunches. Besides being easy to make, it’s easy to love! If you aim to impress, look no further than this Greek Orzo Salad with all its summery colors and bold flavors. This is one pasta salad recipe that you can make ahead, so that you can lighten the stress of picnic day. Or you can make it and pack it up for lunch. It’s also easy to adapt, so you can make it just how you like it: more olives, crumbled feta, gluten-free, etc.
The Ingredients You Will Need To Make Greek Orzo Salad
Greek Dressing: This Greek dressing is super simple. It’s made with Golden Sweet Balsamic-Style vinegar, not the typical red wine vinegar. We like its sweet, crisp flavor in this orzo pasta salad. We use a quality extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Chickpeas: Garbanzo beans add some heartiness to the pasta salad. They are nutty with an almost creamy texture, which really adds another dimension.
Olives: We love the tart, briny flavor of Calamata olives. Always be sure that olives are pitted for pasta salad recipes. You can choose to add in some green Greek (Halkidiki olives), if you like olives.
Peppers: Bell peppers are colorful and crunchy adding to the fresh flavors and textures of this Greek Orzo Salad.
Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes are bite-sized and juicy, adding a burst of fresh flavor to the final dish.
Cucumber: Cucumber is crisp and refreshing, the perfect balance to the briny lemony flavors.
Fresh Herbs: Fresh chopped parsley and oregano add some herby flavor to the orzo salad.
Orzo: Orzo is rice-shaped and small, making it a fun and unique pasta for a cold pasta salad. To make this gluten free, choose a Gluten-Free Orzo Pasta.
How To Make Greek Orzo Salad
Greek Orzo Salad is super simple to make. Cook the orzo in advance for a faster prep.
Create the dressing. Combine all dressing ingredients except the oil in a mixing bowl. Whisk together. Continuing to whisk, add in the oil in a slow, steady stream.
Make the salad. In a large serving bowl, combine chickpeas, olives, bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumbers, cooled orzo and fresh herbs.
Dress the salad. Pour in the dressing. Toss gently to coat.
Tips
This is a super easy recipe, but here are a few tips to perfect your orzo pasta salad.
Cook pasta al dente. To avoid mushy pasta salad, be sure to cook it for an al dente texture. Always check pasta for doneness before the cook time on the box. Pasta should be tender but with a yielding bite.
Keep the chopping sizes consistent. Pasta salads shouldn’t be complicated to eat. Keep the chop small and consistent in size.
Allow the pasta to cool. Let the pasta cool. This is the only time it is acceptable to rinse pasta with cold water. Hot pasta will ruin the texture of the cool, crisp veggies.
Make it ahead of time. You can make this orzo pasta salad ahead of time and let it chill in the refrigerator. This will allow the flavors to develop. Even a couple of hours of resting before serving will make a difference in the flavors.
To store leftovers, refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.
We do not recommend freezing pasta salads, as fresh cut vegetables do not freeze (and thaw) well. They are best enjoyed when made.
What To Serve With Greek Orzo Salad
Serve up Greek Orzo Salad with other Greek-inspired foods and mezze items like hummus, roasted red peppers, feta cheese and pita bread or pita chips. Serve it as a cold side dish paired up with summertime favorites like corn on the cob, grilled meats, burgers, seafood and sausages.
Greek Orzo Salad: FAQ
What Is Orzo?
No, Marry Me Chicken is not keto-friendly.
Can I make Marry Me Chicken in the crock pot?
Orzo is a small pasta cut known as pastina. It is named for its “barley” shape. Though it may look like a large grain of rice, orzo pasta is made in the same way traditional pasta is made—with durum wheat semolina. At one time, pastina like orzo was used mostly in broth-based soups. These days, orzo is made into pasta salads, cheesy baked pastas and side dishes.
How Long Can Orzo Salad Sit Out?
According to the FDA, food shouldn’t sit out for more than 2 hours. If the temperature is 90˚F or above, food shouldn’t sit out longer than 1 hour. If you are taking Greek Orzo Salad to a picnic or outdoor party, be sure to keep it in a container with a lid and have access to a cooler to keep it chill when it isn’t being served.
Can I Make This Dish Ahead Of Time?
Yes, this cold pasta salad is a great recipe to make ahead of time. In fact, it is best served after a couple of hours chilled in the refrigerator.
Fresh And Easy Greek Orzo Salad
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons DeLallo Golden Sweet Balsamic-Style Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon DeLallo Lemon Juice
- DeLallo Sea Salt Grinder
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup DeLallo Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salad:
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can DeLallo Chickpeas, drained
- 1/2 cup DeLallo Pitted Seasoned Calamata Olives, chopped
- 1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 large tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cucumber, quartered lengthwise then sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
- 1 (1-pound) package DeLallo Orzo, cooked and cooled
Directions
- To create dressing, combine vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Whisk together to incorporate. Introduce oil in a steady stream while whisking. Set aside.
- In a large serving bowl, combine chickpeas, olives, bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumbers and fresh herbs. Toss with cooled orzo. Add dressing and mix well to coat.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Stay connected...
tag @delallofoods on Instagram to share your kitchen creations!
greek orzo salad, greek orzo salad recipe, greek orzo pasta salad, orzo salad recipe, greek salad recipe