I like this simple orzo salad recipe with a easy lemon dressing, recent tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and herbs. It’s fast to make and at all times successful with everybody I share it with!
I do know it’s a daring declare to name this one of the best orzo salad, however it’s at all times the primary dish to vanish every time I serve it. The selfmade dressing is so gentle and refreshing, making this the proper salad for summer time!
I typically get pleasure from it as a aspect dish in the course of the hotter months or flip it into my principal meal (particularly on sizzling days). It’s an actual keeper of a recipe since it may be prepared in simply 20 minutes! I additionally suggest making an attempt my orzo pasta with tomatoes and parmesan.
Key Elements
- Orzo: I choose orzo pasta for this recipe, however you should utilize any small dried pasta like ditalini or small shells. This recipe can be scrumptious when made with couscous or quinoa. For those who want it, right here’s our recipe for how to cook quinoa.
- Veggies: I like the mixture of recent cucumber and tomato on this salad. You may as well strive different recent veggies, like bell peppers, radishes, and even zucchini (much like what I take advantage of in my easy pasta salad).
- Olives and Artichokes: I add sliced olives and drained marinated hearts for a Mediterranean or Greek twist.
- Contemporary herbs: I at all times add loads of recent herbs to my summer time salads. I particularly love recent mint, parsley, cilantro, basil, and dill. Use no matter you may have readily available or choose.
- Lemon salad dressing: My selfmade dressing is dairy-free, making this orzo pasta salad good for picnics or heat climate. It includes a pleasant mixture of olive oil, mustard, recent lemon, and a contact of honey (or maple syrup) for steadiness. I take advantage of an analogous dressing on this easy couscous salad.
Easy methods to Make the Finest Orzo Pasta Salad
It’s extremely simple to make this orzo salad. Begin by cooking the orzo, which takes lower than 10 minutes. Whereas it’s cooking, you may put together the remainder of the salad. I prefer to make the lemon dressing within the backside of a big bowl after which assemble the salad proper on prime.
As soon as the orzo is cooked, drain it after which add it on to the dressing whereas nonetheless heat. Including the orzo whereas it’s heat permits it to soak up all of the flavors of the lemony dressing.
The ultimate step is so as to add your favourite greens and elements. We love cucumber and tomato, so these are a should for us. We additionally get pleasure from including loads of recent herbs. Within the photographs, we used numerous chopped recent mint, however be happy to experiment along with your favourite herbs like parsley, cilantro, dill, or basil. You may as well see within the photograph that we added olives and artichoke hearts, each glorious additions to the pasta salad.
You’ll be able to serve the salad as a aspect or a principal meal. Generally, I toss on a bit of additional protein and particularly love our grilled chicken, roasted shrimp, or this easy baked tofu.
Simple Orzo Salad
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PREP
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We love this gentle orzo pasta salad recipe! Use your favourite recent herbs (we love mint, dill, basil, parsley, or cilantro).
Makes 8 (1 cup) servings
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Want
1 ½ cups (226g) dried orzo pasta
1 medium English cucumber, diced
1 massive tomato, diced or 8 ounces halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup coarsely chopped recent herbs like parsley, cilantro, basil, dill, or mint
1/2 cup pitted olives, halved
1 cup canned or jarred artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/4 cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 to 4 tablespoons recent squeezed lemon juice, relying on style
Salt and recent floor black pepper
Instructions
1Deliver a big saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook dinner till tender, 6 to 10 minutes (examine the field for the beneficial cooking time). Drain.
2Whereas the orzo cooks, whisk the oil, mustard, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a big bowl.
3Add the drained orzo to the lemon dressing and blend nicely. Put aside for five minutes to chill down a bit.
4Stir within the cucumber, tomato, herbs, olives, and artichokes.
5Style for seasoning and alter with salt and pepper as wanted.
6Take pleasure in heat or cowl, then refrigerate till cool, about 1 hour.
Adam and Joanne’s Ideas
- Make forward: This salad is scrumptious when eaten right away, however you may as well make it, cowl it, and refrigerate for as much as 4 hours. This manner, all of the flavors marry and mingle, making for an much more scrumptious salad. For those who plan to make it a day or two forward, maintain the tomatoes, cucumbers, and recent herbs separate till you’re able to serve. This manner, they may stay crisp, and the herbs will keep shiny inexperienced.
- Artichokes: For those who use marinated artichokes bought in oil, you may substitute a few of the olive oil known as for within the recipe above with the oil within the jar.
- The vitamin details supplied beneath are estimates.
Diet Per Serving
Serving Dimension
1 cup
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Energy
166
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Protein
4.4g
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Carbohydrate
20.5g
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Dietary Fiber
2g
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Whole Sugars
1.8g
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Whole Fats
8g
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Saturated Fats
1.1g
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Ldl cholesterol
21mg
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Sodium
290mg
