With a zippy Greek dressing and filled with fresh summer vegetables, this Greek Orzo Salad is going to be the biggest hit at all your BBQs.
It’s no secret that cooking during summer… Kind of doesn’t happen. Right?
It’s just too hot, farmer’s market produce is too vibrant and fresh and let’s face it… Summer makes us lazy.
Also? I’d much rather spend time at the pool than slaving away at the stove.
My favorite summer staple are pasta salads. And nothing makes it easier to switch things up than using this fun little pasta shape: Orzo.
Here I’m adding all my favorite Greek salad flavors for the ultimate summer treat.
How to Make Greek Orzo Salad:
How do you keep Orzo from sticking together?
The first rule of making Orzo salad: Do not let the little pasta shapes stick together.
I know a lot of people recommend washing Orzo before cooking. But I’m usually too lazy/tired/short on time to be bothered to do that.
Instead I rinse the Orzo right after cooking (I do this with all pasta for pasta salad – who has time to wait for it to cool?!) and then toss it in the dressing right away. Easy peasy!
Can you make this salad ahead of time?
The beauty of pasta salads is that you can make them ahead of time – if you pay attention to a few details:
You can make ahead and chill the pasta salad up to overnight. Keep it covered in the fridge.
Any chopped herbs you want to add, add them right before serving – they’ll wilt too much otherwise.
And finally, keep some extra oil, salt and vinegar/lemon juice on hand. Check for dressing/seasoning and adjust right before you’re serving the salad!
What goes with Orzo Salad?
To be honest, we often have this salad by itself for lunch during summer.
But for dinner or when we have a barbecue, we love it with Greek Chicken Kabobs, Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken or even with a Greek Turkey Zucchini Meatloaf.
And there you have it – quick, easy and versatile. The perfect lazy summer dish!
More Summer Salads You’ll Love:
Greek Orzo Salad
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Ingredients
- 1.5 cups uncooked orzo pasta
- 1 can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 1/2 pound mini Roma tomatoes halved
- 1 cucumber seeded and chopped
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 1 red onion chopped
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 4 oz black olives drained
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano OR parsley
- 1 cup Greek salad dressing
Instructions
- Make orzo: Prepare the orzo according to package directions. Drain in a sieve, then rinse under cold water for 15 seconds. Toss with the dressing straight away.
- Make salad: Add all remaining ingredients and toss well. Serve immediately, or chill for up to overnight (add the fresh oregano/parsley when serving, if you want to make it ahead for more than 1 hour).
