This Orzo Salad is light and fresh with Mediterranean flavors, perfect for BBQ’s, picnics and more. It's full of colorful veggies and fresh herbs, with a tangy lemon dressing that makes you want more with every spoonful!
I love a good pasta salad, especially in the warmer months. Plus if you've been here for a while, you’ll know that I love salads with a spoon and this orzo salad is another one of just that! Orzo is also known as risoni here in Italy along with back at home in Australia and some other countries. They're small pasta shapes similar to rice grains. So the best thing to do is to cut everything in a similar size so that with every spoonful you get to taste a little bit of everything.
This orzo salad is made with Mediterranean flavors, full of fresh veggies and herbs, and a lovely lemon dressing. So there’s no mayo here, keeping it light, healthy and fresh. It’s perfect to serve as a side dish at BBQ’s, picnics and even to take to the beach. It also doesn't go soggy unlike other salads, so I love making a batch the night before a beach day, and taking it to enjoy by the sea. What could be better???
Some more salads with a spoon to enjoy are my farro salad, Jennifer Aniston salad, and quinoa salad.
What's great is that you can easily turn this orzo pasta salad into a main meal for a quick dinner or for meal prep lunches for the week. All you need to do is add some of your favorite protein. I love adding chickpeas or lentils or even chopped up crispy breaded tofu. If you aren't vegetarian, feel free to add grilled chicken or shrimp. The options are endless really!
Some other orzo recipes I've shared are my lemon orzo, creamy orzo pasta and Greek orzo salad with a creamy feta dressing.
Table of Contents
Why you'll love this Orzo Salad
- Quick & Easy: Simple steps and basic ingredients that can all be ready in 20 minutes
- Deliciously Fresh: The combination of orzo pasta with the chopped veggies, fresh herbs, feta and a bright lemon dressing is so good!
- Versatile: Perfect to serve as a side dish at a picnic or BBQ and even for easy weekday lunches or dinner. You can eat it at any time!
- Customizable: Feel free to add your favorite veggies or protein. I love adding chickpeas to make it a full meal
What is Orzo?
Orzo is a small pasta shape that looks very similar to rice grains. The name orzo actually translates to "barley" in Italian and can be known as Risoni in Italy, Australia and some other countries.
Orzo is made from semolina flour (durum wheat) as like regular pasta, and cooks fairly quickly. It’s quite popular in Italian cuisine where its added to soups such as pastina and pastina soup, which are made with tiny pasta. It's also great for pasta salads, and many other dishes as you can cook it as you do risotto.
Personally I love orzo as their tiny shape is great for absorbing dressings, sauces and soups and its so easy to cook with.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Orzo pasta / risoni is the base of this salad. They're small pasta shapes that look similar to rice grains and are also popular when making pastina. You can use different small pasta such as elbow pasta, macaroni or even penne if needed
- Cherry tomatoes are my favorite as they’re sweet and juicy and also add a pop of color. I’ve used yellow and red tomatoes, grape tomatoes work well too
- Cucumber gives a refreshing crunch, I always prefer Persian cucumbers which are less watery and have more flavor
- Red onion adds a bit of bite. I always soak the chopped onions in cold water to remove the harsh flavor while preparing the remaining ingredients
- Sun dried tomatoes are my fave part as they're tangy, sweet and acidic. I’ve also used some of the oil from the jar for my dressing. You can substitute with marinated bell peppers, artichokes or kalamata olives
- Greek feta cheese adds a salty creaminess, feel free to use vegan feta. Goats cheese or mozzarella will be yummy too but wont have the punchy flavor
- Fresh parsley is key as it adds so much brightness and freshness to the orzo salad. Basil, dill or fresh mint could work too but I would recommend to use less so they don't overpower the overall flavor
- Dressing, I’ve used a mix of extra virgin olive oil along with oil from the sun dried tomatoes jar for extra flavor. Fresh lemon juice makes it bright and adds so much freshness but you can also use white or red wine vinegar if preferred
How to make Orzo Salad
Make this fresh crowd pleaser Orzo Salad in no time at all. Follow my simple steps below.
Cook orzo pasta in boiling salted water
Reserve some of the pasta cooking water then drain pasta and add to a large bowl
When pasta is cooking, chop ingredients - cucumber, cherry tomatoes, onion and parsley. Drain and slice sun dried tomatoes
Make dressing by adding olive oil, oil from sun dried tomatoes jar, lemon and salt. Whisk to combine
Whilst pasta is slightly warm, add the dressing, 2 tablespoons of pasta water and the chopped parsley. Stir to combine
To serve, add all chopped veggies to the bowl, crumble in the feta cheese and toss to combine. It's ready...enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Don't overcook the orzo pasta. Keep it al dente so it's cooked through but still has a slight bite. Overcooked orzo will become mushy
- Reserve some pasta water. Orzo does have a tendency to stick together once cooled. The pasta water will loosen it up when dressed to make it silky again
- Add dressing to the pasta while it’s still warm. The dressing will absorb into the warm pasta better which gives it more flavor
- Chop veggies evenly so you can get a mix of everything in each spoonful
- Make it a full meal by adding extra protein. You can add chickpeas or other legumes, crispy tofu, shrimp or grilled chicken
Storage Instructions
- Store leftover orzo pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days
- If you prefer to make a bigger batch for meal prep or to make in advance, add the veggies on the day you prefer to serve it to keep them crunchy. The cooked and dressed orzo pasta will keep for 5 days in the fridge
FAQs
Orzo is a small pasta shape that looks similar to a grain of rice. It’s made from semolina flour and great for pastina, pasta salads, soups and risotto, and makes a quick and easy side dish
Yes indeed! This salad actually tastes even better the next day as the flavors have developed together. You can however make the salad and add the veggies before serving to keep them crunchy
This recipe is healthy and nutritious as it's filled with fresh veggies and ingredients with a homemade dressing. You can also increase the protein by adding chickpeas, grilled chicken or crispy tofu
Feel free to swap the orzo for cooked quinoa, brown rice, farro or bulgur wheat
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Orzo Salad:
More Orzo Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to rate the recipe, comment and share your Orzo Salad photo on Instagram so I can share the love!
Recipe
Orzo Salad (Light & Fresh with Lemon Dressing)
Ingredients
- 9oz / 250g orzo / risoni pasta
- 7oz / 200g cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium Persian or Lebanese cucumber
- ½ red onion
- 3oz / 90g sun-dried tomatoes
- 3.5oz / 100g feta cheese
- 1 bunch fresh parsley
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons oil from the sun dried tomatoes jar
- 1 large lemon - juiced
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Boil the orzo pasta in a pot with salted water - make sure not to overcook and keep al dente
- Reserve some of the pasta cooking water on the side then drain and add it to a large bowl for it to cool down
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the veggies: Chop the cucumber and cherry tomatoes into small cubes, drain and slice the sun dried tomatoes, and finely dice the parsley leaves and onion*Optional - soak the onions in a bowl of water for 10 minutes to remove the harsh onion flavor
- In a small bowl or mason jar, add the dressing ingredients and whisk to combine
- Whilst the pasta is still slightly warm, add the dressing along with a couple of tablespoons of the reserved pasta water. Add the chopped parsley and stir together
- When the pasta has cooled down, add all of the chopped veggies to the bowl. Crumble in the feta cheese and keep some feta on the side for the garnishToss together so it's all nicely coated and place in the fridge for 15 minutes to keep cool and for the flavors to mold together
- When ready to serve, garnish with the remaining feta cheese and enjoy your delicious fresh Orzo Salad!
Valerie Thomson says
So delicious! I've been making it non-stop since I first received the email with your recipe included. And I have shared it with my sister who loves just about anything with Orzo in it. And she certainly wasn't disappointed with this salad. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Ayeh Manfre says
So happy to hear you both loved it Valerie 🙂 I have another one coming soon too xxx
Lisa says
It's become a go to. We added chopped marinated artichoke, parts and some lemon zest. It's so yummy.
Ayeh Manfre says
Sounds delicious! So glad you love it and it's become a go-to yay 🙂
Suzi says
My husband and I LOVED this salad! At first, he was doubtful that he'd like it, but after one bite, he said, "Wow, this is wonderful!" I've made it several times since, and he just asked if I'd make it for dinner tonight. Can't get any better review than that! He likes it cold or warm, so that adds versatility to this dish. The best combination of flavors and textures along with the fresh and colorful presentation make it company-worthy and a new go-to in my collection of favorite recipes.
Ayeh Manfre says
What a lovely compliment! So happy you and your husband love this so much xxx
Tammy Aragaki says
Can you please explain to me what you mean by one lemon? I see nowhere where it says to juice the lemon or zest the lemon so I’m not sure which part of the lemon I am supposed to add.
Ayeh Manfre says
The juice from one lemon 🙂
Anne Richards says
This is such a delicious and simple salad!
Ayeh Manfre says
So glad you loved it Anne 🙂
Bonnie Ewing says
Made the Orzo Salad (Light & Fresh with Lemon Dressing) for special gathering a week ago. Well, it has went viral in the neighborhood. Served it with chicken & Pineapple kabobs. Try this if you not.
Ayeh Manfre says
Amazing to hear it was such a hit!!!
Lynn R says
I used a shallot instead of red onion. Added a drop of white balsamic vinegar and kept the recipe as is. perfection! Thank you.
Ayeh Manfre says
So glad you loved it with your variations 🙂
R.Gaskell says
This salad was delicious and easy to make, thank you, I will make it againR
Ayeh Manfre says
So glad you loved it and will remake it! It's a staple in my home too 🙂
btihitte says
these salads sound delicious and really easy to make with not too many ingredients
Ayeh Manfre says
Its one of my favorites too, simple and tastes great with everything 🙂
Marnie Grinspoon says
I can only find sun-dried tomato's that are not in oil. What do you recommend I do to replace that oil?
Ayeh Manfre says
Thats ok they will still be delicious, they may need to be rehydrated first depending on the package. You can simply just use extra olive oil instead 🙂