This Mediterranean orzo salad features crunchy vegetables and a flavorful homemade vinaigrette.
Orzo Salad Ingredients
These are the simple ingredients you’ll need to make this colorful and filling orzo pasta salad recipe:
- Pasta: This easy recipe starts with a 16-ounce package of uncooked orzo pasta.
- Vegetables: Cherry tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, and pitted olives lend color and flavor.
- Cheese: A cup of Asiago cheese takes things up a notch. You can use feta cheese if you prefer.
- Seasonings: The orzo salad is seasoned with fresh garlic, salt, pepper, fresh basil, and fresh parsley.
- Oil and vinegar: A combination of extra-virgin oil and red wine vinegar is the base of the vinaigrette.
- Lemon: Lemon juice brightens up the other flavors in the pasta salad dressing.
How to Make Orzo Salad
You’ll find the full, step-by-step recipe below — but here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make this orzo salad:
- Cook, drain, and rinse the pasta.
- Combine all the pasta salad ingredients in one bowl and all the vinaigrette ingredients in another.
- Drizzle the dressing over the orzo mixture, toss, and let sit to allow the flavors to meld.
What to Serve With Orzo Salad
This easy orzo salad recipe is the perfect potluck dish. It will work well with other potluck and picnic favorites — explore Our Most Popular Potluck Recipes collection for delicious inspiration. Here are a few of the ideas you’ll find:
Can You Make Orzo Salad Ahead of Time?
Yes, this orzo salad is a great make-ahead dish. Since the flavors need time to meld in the fridge, it might actually make more sense to make it a day or two in advance.
How to Store Orzo Salad
Store this pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Can You Freeze Orzo Salad?
The texture of the cooked pasta may change during the freezing and thawing process. However, you can freeze this orzo salad for up to three months if you have leftovers.
Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise
“Made it for lunches for the work week,” says Danceann. “Covered and refrigerated it overnight. Great recipe to use up the abundance of cherry tomatoes and cucumbers.
“Delicious,” raves Karen Witzel Bradley. “I added a small can of corn and two cups of arugula. I used feta cheese instead of Asiago. No changes to the vinaigrette — perfect as is!”
Editorial contributions by Corey Williams
Ingredients
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½ (16 ounce) package uncooked orzo pasta
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½ pint cherry tomatoes, halved
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½ cup diced red onion
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1 cup diced cucumber
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1 cup pitted Mediterranean olives, cut in half
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1 cup finely diced Asiago cheese
Vinaigrette:
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1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh garlic
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½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
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½ cup red wine vinegar
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½ lemon, juiced
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1 teaspoon salt
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½ teaspoon ground black pepper
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¼ cup chopped fresh basil
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2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Directions
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Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook orzo in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 9 minutes. Drain well. Rinse with cold water and drain well again.
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Combine orzo, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, olives, and Asiago cheese in a large bowl.
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To make the vinaigrette: Whisk garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl; drizzle over orzo mixture and toss lightly to combine. Add basil and parsley and mix well. Let sit for 20 minutes for flavors to blend, stirring occasionally.
Cook’s Note
If you make this salad in advance, reserve a bit of the dressing to add right before serving, as the pasta tends to soak up the dressing as it sits over time.
This salad pairs well with grilled lamb or fish.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 418 | Calories |
| 27g | Fat |
| 35g | Carbs |
| 11g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 6 | |
| Calories 418 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 27g | 35% |
| Saturated Fat 6g | 32% |
| Cholesterol 16mg | 5% |
| Sodium 819mg | 36% |
| Total Carbohydrate 35g | 13% |
| Dietary Fiber 3g | 10% |
| Total Sugars 3g | |
| Protein 11g | 21% |
| Vitamin C 10mg | 11% |
| Calcium 171mg | 13% |
| Iron 2mg | 13% |
| Potassium 206mg | 4% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.
