Orzo Pasta Salad with an Easy Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe

Orzo, commonly known as risoni, is a short, rice-shaped pasta that may be used in both pasta and rice-based meals. If you enjoy the fresh, robust flavors of Greek salad, you’ll adore this Greek Orzo Pasta Salad. It’s loaded with crisp vegetables, tangy feta, and briny olives, all mixed in a fresh lemon vinaigrette.

You can easily get orzo pasta at grocery shops, which is a terrific way to add some variety to typical pasta salads. You have many of possibilities to customize this salad by adding and substituting ingredients.

The flavors and texture work together so well. The salad has salty olives, crisp vegetables, creamy feta, soft orzo, fresh herbs, and a zesty lemon vinaigrette. Since the flavors need time to meld in the refrigerator, it’s quick, simple, and ideal to prepare ahead of time!

 

Orzo Salad Ingredients

Here are the ingredients required for Orzo Salad:

• Two cups cooked orzo pasta.
• Three radishes, thinly sliced.
• Ten quartered grape tomatoes.
• Half a cup of chopped cucumbers.
• Half a cup of small-cut cauliflower.
• 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion.
• 1/3 cup sweet mini peppers sliced (red, orange, and yellow, 1 each).

Lemon Vinaigrette Ingredients

• 1/3 cup olive oil.
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice.
• 2 tablespoons honey.
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard.
• 2 chopped garlic cloves.
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
• And 1 teaspoon salt.

 

Directions for making Orzo Pasta Salad

1. Cook the orzo according to the directions on the back of the box.
2. Drain the water and rinse with cold water until it’s no longer heated.
3. Make the vinaigrette.
   1. Place the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper in the bottom of a large mixing bowl.
   2. Whisk until thoroughly blended.
4. Fill the bowl with the drained orzo, tomatoes, cucumber, corn, feta, onion, and parsley.
5. Toss until combined in the dressing.
6. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve.

 

Recipe variations

• Instead of red peppers, try green, yellow, or orange.
• Add some chopped spinach, kale, or arugula.
• Replace the fresh parsley with another fresh herb, such as basil or oregano.
• Add some protein, such as shredded chicken or chickpeas.
• Replace all or a portion of the lemon juice in the vinaigrette with red wine vinegar.
• Add some dried oregano to the vinaigrette.

 

Also Read: How to Prepare Buffalo Chicken Casserole Recipe