Greek Orzo Salad
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Make this easy Greek orzo salad with feta, olives, and Mediterranean flavors for a simple side dish or dinner in under 30 minutes!
Pasta salad is usually not the side I’d reach for at a party, but if it’s an orzo pasta salad… sign me up! There’s something about the smaller pasta that makes it so much more enticing!
This flavor-packed Greek orzo salad is loaded with feta, Kalamata olives, veggies, and other delicious Mediterranean flavors!
The recipe is easy to prepare, and can be doubled to serve more people. It’s the perfect cold pasta salad for any potluck, cookout, or summer party!
Everyone will love this easy, healthy side dish at your next bbq or potluck!
3 great reasons to make our Greek orzo salad
- No mayo, so it’s healthy and light. The vinaigrette dressing makes this a healthy side dish for summer. Also, unlike side dish recipes with mayo, this Mediterranean orzo salad can be left in the hot sun for a bit longer without going bad.
- Fresh Ingredients. This is the perfect dish to add fresh garden veggies to, especially in the Summer months, when they are in season!
- The recipe is easy to adapt. If you don’t like one of the ingredients or simply don’t have it on hand, you can easily swap it out for something else, or just leave it out altogether.
orzo pasta salad ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this greek orzo salad:
- orzo – Although it looks similar to (and doubles in size like) cooked grains of rice, orzo is a tiny, oval shaped pasta. It’s typically made from either semolina or whole grain flour.
- English cucumber – This is a variety of seedless cucumber. Most often, you will find them individually wrapped in plastic wrap to maintain their freshness.
- cherry tomatoes
- bell pepper
- crumbled feta cheese
- shallots
- kalamata olives – these add so much flavor!
- fresh basil
Salad Dressing Ingredients:
- olive oil – use a good quality olive oil!
- red wine vinegar – helps to add flavor
- whole grain mustard – this makes the dressing tangy and delicious!
- salt and pepper
ingredient substitutions and recipe variations
Orzo Pasta: You can substitute orzo pasta with rice or farro. We haven’t tried this recipe with pastina, but I think it would also work! If you like a bigger pasta, try this Greek Spaghetti.
Vegetables: Feel free to use more or less veggies. You can easily double all of the veggies in this recipe and it will be great. You could also do sun dried tomatoes in place of cherry tomatoes, but I would cut the amount to only 1/4 cup. You could also use grape tomatoes.
Feta Cheese: We highly recommend making orzo salad with feta to keep the Mediterranean flavors authentic. If necessary, you can substitute with mini mozzarella pearls or crumbled goat cheese.
Shallots: If you don’t have shallots you can substitute with red onion. Shallots have a milder flavor. You can also omit it entirely.
Kalamata Olives: You can substitute with black olives, or use capers instead.
Fresh Herbs: Feel free to substitute chopped fresh basil with fresh parsley or fresh dill.
Olive Oil: You can substitute extra virgin olive oil with avocado oil.
Red Wine Vinegar: I haven’t tried substituting red wine vinegar with anything. You can try balsamic vinegar but I’m not sure how it will taste.
Whole Grain Mustard: Whole grain mustard is best for this recipe. You could try it with dijon mustard but the flavor isn’t quite the same
Dressing: I haven’t tried this with other dressings, but I bet it would work! Check out these healthy salad dressings for more ideas!
how to cook orzo for pasta salad
What is the cooking time for orzo pasta? Orzo typically takes 7 to 8 minutes to cook to al dente.
Should orzo be al dente? Yes, because it becomes mushy when it is cooked for too long.
Should the pasta be rinsed after cooking? Rinsing isn’t necessary, but it can help your orzo from sticking together!
If you’re afraid or the pasta sticking together, stir in a tiny little bit of extra virgin olive oil.
How to make Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl or mason jar, add olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Whisk until well combined.
- Cook the orzo as directed on the package. Place all the ingredients in a large salad bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the orzo and vegetables.
- Mix until thoroughly combined and enjoy!
Liz’s tips for the best tasting Greek orzo salad
- Avoid over cooking the pasta. See our tips above for cooking orzo to al dente.
- Dice the veggies into bite-sized pieces. This may seem obvious, but keeping the pieces small allows them to absorb more flavor from the vinaigrette dressing.
- Make sure to cool the orzo before combining it with the veggies. You don’t want to ‘cook’ your fresh veggies like cucumber and tomatoes by mixing them into hot pasta.
- Prevent the dressing ingredients from separating by whisking them together just before tossing it with the orzo.
- Serve it on the day you make it, so it’s fresh. This Greek orzo salad is best enjoyed 1-2 hours after you make it!
- Chill before serving for the best flavor. Cold orzo pasta salad tastes better, because the flavors in the vinaigrette have time to ‘marry’ together with the veggies and pasta. If you want a warm orzo dish, try this Mediterranean Chicken with Orzo.
- Make some extra dressing. The longer the Mediterranean orzo salad sits, the more dressing it will absorb. If it seems too dry after sitting overnight in the fridge, you can add a little extra dressing.
How to make this Greek Orzo Salad Recipe in advance
You can make this recipe ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge until you want to eat it. I recommend waiting to add the dressing til you’re ready to serve it.
It is best within a couple of hours of making, but stores for up to 3 days in the fridge.
The dressing stores well in a mason jar.
storing and serving suggestions
How long does Greek Orzo Salad last?
Storing: Although this dish tastes the best on the day it’s made, you can make the pasta salad ahead of time. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Freezing: Don’t freeze this orzo salad. The vegetables will not freeze well.
The flavors in the Mediterranean orzo pasta salad go really well with light proteins like greek chicken, turkey, and fish like baked cod. We recommend serving it with grilled dishes like turkey burgers, honey balsamic chicken, or chili lime shrimp.
Greek Orzo Salad Recipe FAQs
Orzo is perfectly safe to eat cold and in this recipe, you need cold orzo.
Orzo is a type of pasta made out of ground durum wheat semolina, water, and salt. It holds shape when cooked and can be used in place of rice.
Yes, orzo is on the Mediterranean diet! It’s a great side dish.
Orzo is technically pasta. It’s a short grain pasta which is similar in texture to rice.
Other healthy pasta recipes:
Looking for other easy pasta dishes or pasta salads? Check out these 40+ Healthy Dinner Recipes. Click here to grab our free healthy 30 minute dinners cookbook.
Greek Orzo Salad
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
- 2 cups orzo pasta
- 1 diced English cucumber
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 2 finely chopped shallots
- ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives cut in half
- 1/2 cup fresh basil chopped
Dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the orzo as directed on the package. (Make sure to not over cook it. I recommend cooking to al dente, about 1 minute less than the package recommends. Once cooked, you can drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and prevent the pasta from sticking together.
- While the pasta cooks, wash, chop and prepare the rest of the ingredients. Place all the ingredients in a large salad bowl.
- In a small bowl, add olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined.
- Pour the dressing over the orzo and vegetables, and mix well until all the ingredients are combined.
- Serve cold.
Notes
- Avoid over cooking the pasta. See our tips above for cooking orzo to al dente.
- Dice the veggies into bite-sized pieces.
- Make sure to cool the orzo before combining it with the veggies.
- Serve it on the day you make it, so it’s fresh. This Greek orzo salad is best enjoyed 1-2 hours after you make it!
Still one of my very favorite recipes to make. Makes a great meal prep. Add some chicken and it’s a whole meal! Thanks for sharing these easy delicious meals
I have made this recipe twice now, my family loves it. Nice for summer!
Outstanding recipe! Easy to make with many options!
Such a great, lighter pasta salad. It was a huge hit with my pasta loving family!!
The colors were beautiful in this salad. The recipe was quick and easy and everyone loved it. I served it with kabob’s and let my guests add some feta to their salad if they chose. I will definitely be making this one again.
What a great salad. Made it for a work cookout. Would use less scallions not a big fan of onion but did add a nice flavor overall. Used small farfalline pasta (grocery store was out of orzo???).
Light, fresh and delicious!