Greek Orzo Salad is healthy, delicious, and packed with fresh veggies! This pasta salad is the perfect side dish for Summer parties, picnics, and potlucks. To make it a full meal, add chicken, shrimp, or salmon!

Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

It feels like Summer here in the Hudson Valley! And that means we’re making salad on the regular. I love salad for lunch or dinner. Especially when it’s a pasta salad! And although I have a million pasta salad recipes in the archives, I had to pop in share and our latest recipe obsession: Greek Orzo Pasta Salad! It’s so fresh and flavorful! And comes together in about 20 minutes flat! But you can keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days! I mean, I doubt it’ll last that long. But it’s nice to have the option, right?

What is Orzo?

Although it looks like rice, Orzo is actually a small variety of pasta. Because of its size, it works well in soups and salads. You’ll find it in the same aisle pasta is sold. Feel free to use regular or wheat orzo!

Greek Orzo Salad Recipe

• Orzo: This is our pasta base! If you can’t find orzo, use another small pasta like elbow noodles or orecchiette.
• Grape Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes or even chopped tomatoes could be used instead.
• Cucumber: I love using english cucumber in this recipe, but any variety will work.
• Feta Cheese: Use the best variety you can get your hands on!
• Red Onion: If you’re not a fan, feel free to omit or reduce the amount.
• Kalamata Olives: You’ll use the olives in the dressing as well as the salad. You can buy fresh or jarred olives.
• Red Bell Pepper: You can use roasted red peppers if you can’t find fresh.
• Green Pepper: Adds a nice crunch. Can easily be left out if you’re not a fan.
• Chickpeas: adds protein! Be sure to rinse and pat dry your chickpeas before adding them to the salad.
• Olive Oil: The base of our red wine vinaigrette.
• Garlic: I prefer fresh garlic, but garlic powder may be used.
• Oregano: Again, I prefer fresh, but dried may be used.
• Lemon juice and zest: Adds a kick of acidity and brightens up the dressing.
• Red Wine Vinegar: For a more intense vinegar flavor, add an extra tablespoon.
• Dijon Mustard: Any variety will work.
• Sugar, Salt, and Pepper: Enhances all of the other flavors!

This salad is extremely versatile! So while this recipe is a great starting point, don’t be afraid to really make it your own. Sometimes I throw in lots of fresh herbs (dill, parsely, mint, green onion, and basil) while other times I’ll bulk it up by adding some roasted chicken or grilled salmon. This is one of those recipes that’s really hard to “mess up”. So just play around with it!

How to Make Orzo Salad

How do you cook Orzo?

You can cook orzo the same way you would cook any other variety of pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, add in the pasta, and cook until al dente. Be sure not to over cook the orzo! You always want to use al dente pasta in pasta salad. Otherwise the salad will end up being too soft and mushy.

More Summer Salad Recipes:

• 20-Minute Greek Pasta Salad
• Easy Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad 
• 20-Minute Chicken Bruschetta Quinoa Salad
• Pesto Orzo Pasta Salad with Zucchini, Goat Cheese, and Tomatoes
• 20-Minute Easy BLT Pasta Salad
• Avocado BLT Pasta Salad

AND IF YOU TRY THIS RECIPE FOR GREEK ORZO SALAD, LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW, AND DON’T FORGET TO SNAP A PIC AND TAG IT #BAKERBYNATURE ON INSTAGRAM! SEEING YOUR CREATIONS MAKES MY DAY ♥

Greek Orzo Salad

Ashley Manila

Greek Orzo Salad is healthy, delicious, and packed with fresh veggies! This pasta salad is the perfect side dish for Summer parties, picnics, and potlucks. To make it a full meal, add chicken, shrimp, or salmon!

5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 12 mins

Cook Time 8 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

 

• 1 pound orzo
• 1 english cucumber, sliced in half lengthwise then cut into half moons
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeds removed and diced
• 1 small green pepper, seeds removed and diced
• (1) 15.5 ounce can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
• 1 small red onion, diced
• (1) 8 ounce container crumbled feta

For the Red Wine Vinaigrette:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon fresh Oregano, finely chopped (Or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (more or less to taste)
• 2 Tablespoons Kalamata olives, finely chopped

Instructions

 

• Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Add orzo and cook until al dente, 7 to 8 minutes. 
• Drain pasta and rinse under cold water until cool. 
• Place pasta in a large serving bowl and set aside.
• In the meantime, prepare the vegetables and dressing.

For the Red Wine Vinaigrette:

• In a small bowl combine the olive oil, garlic, vinegar, lemon juice, zest, mustard, oregano, sugar, salt, pepper, and olives. Whisk well until completely combined. Add dressing to orzo.
• Add vegetables, olives, chickpeas, and feta to the orzo bowl and mix well to combine. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
• Serve at once, or chill until needed.

Tried it and loved it?Snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram @Bakerbynature and by using the hashtag #BakerByNature