Fresh & Vibrant Orzo Pasta Salad Recipe
This fresh orzo pasta salad is a vibrant and satisfying dish perfect for warm-weather meals, packed with crisp veggies, feta, chickpeas, and a zesty lemon dressing. It comes together in under 30 minutes and is ideal for meal prep, picnics, or potlucks.
Equipment
- Pot
- Baking sheet
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 8 ounces orzo pasta
- 1/2 English cucumber English cucumber diced
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 15 ounce garbanzo beans (chickpeas) drained and rinsed
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 small red onion diced (about 2/3 cup)
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
Preparation and Cooking
- Cook orzo pasta al dente according to package instructions, then cool it completely to prevent dressing absorption.
- Combine diced cucumber, crumbled feta, chickpeas, halved cherry tomatoes, and diced red onion in a large bowl gently.
- In a container, whisk together red wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and black pepper, then slowly add olive oil to emulsify the dressing.
- Add cooled orzo to the vegetable mix, toss with half the dressing, then sprinkle chopped basil, mint, and parsley and mix gently.
- Serve immediately with additional dressing if desired, or refrigerate salad and remaining dressing separately to toss before serving.
Notes
To keep the salad fresh and prevent dryness, always cool orzo fully before dressing it and refrigerate dressing separately if making ahead. Rinsing the diced red onion can mellow its sharpness. Shake dressing before serving to re-emulsify.