Greek Orzo Salad
It's easy to make this fresh and delicious Greek Orzo Salad recipe, loaded up with a lemon herb dressing, tons of fresh veggies and feta cheese! It's perfect as a side dish at a picnic or summer bbq. You can also add chickpeas, grilled chicken or shrimp to make it a meal!
Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dry orzo
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ¼ cup red onion, minced
- ¼ cup green bell pepper, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup kalamata olives, sliced
- ½ cup cucumber, diced
- ¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil on the stove.
- Cook orzo according to the package directions.
- Drain and set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small skillet on the stove over medium high heat, add the onion and bell pepper.
- Sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
- Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Combine the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, mint, oregano, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Whisk well, then add the sauteed onion, bell pepper and garlic.
- Add the tomatoes to the dressing.
- Add the cooked orzo, olives and cucumber, toss to combine.
- Top with the feta cheese.
Notes
- The serving size for this recipe is for 6 people, when served as a side dish. If serving the recipe as a main dish, it will feed 3-4 people.
- To turn this salad into a main course, I recommend adding chickpeas, grilled chicken or shrimp. Refer to the blog post above for how to add each of these to the salad.
- To make this recipe vegan omit the feta cheese crumbles on top.
- To make this recipe gluten-free replace traditional orzo pasta with gluten-free orzo. You can also substitute in another gluten free pasta, if you can’t find gluten-free orzo. Gluten free penne, rotini, small shells or elbow pasta would all work in this recipe.
- This salad can be made up to 24 hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to eat. It’s delicious served warm or cold, so feel free to make it ahead of time or serve it immediately after it’s made.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 316kcal (16%)Carbohydrates 35g (12%)Protein 7g (14%)Fat 17g (26%)Saturated Fat 3g (15%)Cholesterol 6mg (2%)Sodium 262mg (11%)Potassium 347mg (10%)Fiber 3g (12%)Sugar 4g (4%)Vitamin A 788mg (16%)Vitamin C 21mg (25%)Calcium 73mg (7%)Iron 1mg (6%)
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