Orzo pasta tossed with tangy Greek vinaigrette, fresh veggies and creamy feta cheese is the picnic-perfect salad you need in your recipe repertoire! The best part, this colorful and flavorful pasta salad recipe comes together in under 30 minutes.
I love a traditional Greek salad (aka, horiatiki salad) made with crisp bell pepper, tomato, cucumber, red onion and feta cheese tossed in a zesty red wine vinaigrette. This orzo salad recipe combines all of those great flavors into a cool and refreshing pasta salad thats perfect for picnics, BBQs or easy no-cook lunches through out the week.
Greek orzo salad is truly as easy as boiling water, chopping veggies and whisking together a vinaigrette. This recipe gets even better with a of day of marinating in the fridge so feel free to make it the day before you plan to serve it.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s everything you’ll need to make Greek Orzo Salad: orzo, bell peppers (any color) cucumber, red onion, tomato, kalamata olives, parsley, feta cheese, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and dried oregano.
Recipe Step by Step
Step 1. Make the Vinaigrette
This zesty Greek Vinaigrette is very easy to make just whisk all of the ingredients together until evenly combined.
Step 2. Cook the Orzo
Cook the orzo then drain and rinse it under cold water to cool the pasta down quickly.
Step 3. Toss and Serve
Toss all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Let chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors meld together.
FAQs, Tips and Tricks
Absolutely! Orzo salad gets better as it sits and marinated for a day. I recommend making it a day in advance if possible.
Orzo salad will last in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Orzo is commonly mistaken for rice because of its shape but it is in fact pasta made from white flour.
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Greek Orzo Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 16 oz orzo pasta
- 2 medium cucumbers diced
- 2 bell peppers diced
- 1 red onion diced
- 1 c halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 heaping cup pitted kalamata olives cut in half
- 8 oz feta cheese, crumbled about a heaping cup
- ½ c chopped parsley leaves
- salt
Greek Dressing
- ¾ c olive oil
- ¼ c dijon mustard
- ¼ c red wine vinegar
- ¼ c lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
Instructions
- To make the dressing place all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Cook the orzo according to packages instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool down to orzo. Let stand in the colander for a few minutes to remove as much of the water as possible.
- Transfer the orzo to a large bowl and add in the chopped veggies, parsley and crumbled feta.
- Toss the orzo and veggies with the dressing and mix until evenly combined. Taste and season with salt as needed. Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to meld before serving.
Notes
- Orzo: You can use any small short-cut pasta for this recipe.
- Veggies: The classic Greek salad consists of red onion, tomato, bell pepper and cucumber. Feel free to mix it up, you can use any combination of veggie you like.
- Feta Cheese: Fresh mozzarella can be substituted for feta cheese if needed.
- Is orzo rice or pasta? Orzo is commonly mistaken for rice because of its shape but it is in fact pasta made from white flour.
- Can I make this recipe in advance? Absolutely! Orzo salad gets better as it sits and marinated for a day. I recommend making it a day in advance if possible.
- Orzo pasta salad will stay fresh for up to four days in the refrigerator.
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