This Greek Orzo Salad is loaded of fresh crispy vegetable, kalamata olives, Orzo pasta and made with a delicious homemade Greek vinaigrette dressing. It’s perfect for lunch, dinner, meal-preps and makes a perfect side dish at any occasion. Our family is crazy about this salad recipe that’s full with so many amazing flavors.
WHAT IS GREEK ORZO SALAD?
Greek Orzo Salad is basically a version of Greek salad with added Orzo. Orzo is a form of pasta shaped like a large grain of rice. Greek Salad is one of the most popular salads made in Greece and in many other countries around the world. Greek Salad is also known as Horiatiki in Greece.
WHAT IS GREEK SALAD MADE OF?
Greek Salad is made in many variations. But the most commonly used vegetables to make the Greek Salad are tomatoes (Vine ripe or cherry tomatoes), kalamata olives, cucumber, purple onion and Greek Feta cheese. Some people like to also add green bell pepper or capers.
HOW TO MAKE GREEK ORZO SALAD
This Mediterranean side dish only takes about 15 minutes to make. Most of the work is basically just chopping the vegetables and then tossing them with a delicius Greek Vinaigrette dressing. But first before you start with the veggies, I recommend you cook the orzo pasta al dente first, based on package directions.
Next, wash and prep all the veggies needed. Place all the cut vegetable ingredients in a bowl. In my salad, I used cubed feta cheese. You can buy a block of feta and basically cut it into mini cubes.
Some supermarkets sell cubed feta cheese. If you don’t a it available near you, you can always use crumbled feta. But if you use crumbled feta, I suggest you mix all the salad ingredients first with the dressing. Then put in the crumbled feta and lightly toss with the salad.
Once you have all the ingredients in the bowl, mix all the salad dressing ingredients in a small cup or salad dressing container and pour over the salad. Toss everything together to coat well.
Serve the salad in a dish and enjoy as a meal or as a side dish.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT GREEK ORZO SALAD
How long does the Greek Orzo Salad last in the fridge?
- Even though this salad could last 3-4 days in the fridge, I recommend eating it within 2 days at the most. This is because you get to enjoy the veggies while they are still at their best and the orzo has not become too soggy.
What should I do with left over Orzo?
- Orzo should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container right after it cools or no more than 2 hours after it’s cooked.
Is Orzo rice?
- No, Orzo is a type of pasta with the same shape of rice, but rather made from cracked wheat semolina flour.
Is Greek Orzo Pasta Healthy?
- It all depends on your eating habits and goals. In the end, Orzo is a type of pasta. You can make this salad without orzo for a low carb option or swap with whole wheat Orzo or any other type of whole wheat pasta to make it healthier.
Can I make Greek Orzo Salad ahead?
- You can definitely prepare the salad ahead and store in in an airtight container in the fridge, but keep the dressing separate until you are ready to serve to keep the veggies crunchy.
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OTHER SALAD RECIPES YOU MAY LIKE
Greek Orzo Salad
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup Orzo Pasta cooked al dente according to package directions.
- 2 cups cucumbers diced or sliced
- 2 cups vine or cherry tomatoes diced
- 1/3 cup purple onion petite diced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 3/4 cup kalamata olives seedless, cut in halves
- 1 cup feta cheese mini cubed
Greek Dressing Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp black pepper fresh cracked
- 3/4 tsp salt add more to taste
- 1 tsp oregano dried
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsps red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp fresh garlic
Instructions
- Cook the Orzo pasta al dente.
- Slice, dice and chop all the vegetables. Cut the olives in halves.
- Place all the ingredients in a bowl, including the cooked orzo.
- In a small bowl or cup, whisk all the dressing ingredients together.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss together lightly to coat well.
- Transfer to a serving dish or serve in the same bowl.
Nutrition
This Greek Orzo Salad looks so healthy and yummy. It is perfect timing to try this recipe in Delhi as we are now welcoming summer. My grandmother and children would really love this. Thank you for sharing the step by step procedure and all ingredients. Thank you!