Mediterranean Orzo Salad Recipe

By: Krolls Korner

21 Comments

Updated: 07/12/2020

My Mediterranean Orzo Salad Recipe is a refreshing, vibrant, easy to make salad. It’s one of those salads I never get bored of and it’s so perfect for meal prep.

This Chicken Waldorf Salad, Avocado Corn Salad, and Caprese Pasta Salad are other meal prep reader favorites.

My Mediterranean Orzo Salad is filled with tender orzo pasta, lots of crisp and colorful veggies, briny olives, creamy feta cheese, and zesty herbs. It’s bound together with a bright and tangy homemade dressing; I love how the simplicity of the dressing really allows for the ingredients in the salad to shine!

Fresh cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and red onions add crunch and vibrant hues to the salad, while the Kalamata olives, peperoncini and garbanzo beans tie everything together. The crumbled feta adds a slightly salty element that pairs perfectly with the vinaigrette dressing.

Whether served as a refreshing side dish or a wholesome main course served with a salmon or chicken, my Mediterranean orzo salad will become a staple worth keeping in your recipe rotation. It is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser and a perfect make-ahead salad for all of the potlucks, picnics, barbecues and parties.

What is orzo?

Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta that is usually made from white flour, but can be made from whole-grain flour too. Orzo can be easily confused with rice. Rice is simply rice, while orzo is a short-cut pasta that just happens to look a lot like rice because of its petite size.

Ingredients

• Orzo (you can also sub any small pasta shape ditalini or even Israeli Couscous)
• Red Onion
• Kalamata olives
• Quartered Artichoke Hearts
• Peperoncini
• Cherry tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans
• Feta cheese(optional)

Step by Step Directions

1. Cook the orzo.
2. Chop/prep the veggies.
3. Make the dressing.
4. Add the orzo to a large bowl, add the remaining ingredients.
5. Pour dressing over, toss to combine. Garnish and serve!

Expert Tips

1. Let It Marinate: Allow the flavors to meld by letting the salad marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. This allows the ingredients to absorb the flavors of the dressing and herbs.
2. Balance Flavors: Aim for a balance of flavors in the salad. The dressing should be tangy with a good balance of acidity and sweetness. Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and possibly a pinch of sugar or honey to balance the flavors.
3. Garnish Before Serving: Just before serving, garnish the orzo salad with additional fresh herbs or crumbled feta cheese to enhance its appearance and flavor.

Variations

• Free to add sun dried tomatoes, chopped baby spinach, capers or jarred roasted red bell peppers.

Storage

• Refrigeration: Orzo salad can typically be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
• Separate Dressing: If the orzo salad is already dressed, consider storing any extra dressing separately. Mixing the dressing in just before serving helps to keep the salad from becoming soggy or so the orzo doesn’t soak up all the dressing.

More Salad recipes you might enjoy:

• Healthy Potato Salad
• Chopped Oriental Chicken Salad
• Mediterranean Tuna Salad
• Healthy Broccoli Salad

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

4.84 from 24 reviews

Mediterranean Orzo Salad Recipe

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 25 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

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This Mediterranean Orzo Salad Recipe is an easy and elevated pasta salad side dish filled with bright flavors and fresh herbs.

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo (~260 grams)
• ▢ 1/2 small red onion, finely diced (about 1/2 cup)
• ▢ 1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced
• ▢ 1, (14.5 oz. jar) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• ▢ 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
• ▢ 1/2 cup peperoncini, sliced
• ▢ 1/2 large cucumber, quartered (or 2-3 mini cucumbers )
• ▢ 1, (15.5 oz. can) garbanzo beans/chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• ▢ 8 oz. feta cheese (I like to buy the chunk and break it up myself. I use the whole 8 oz. block, but if you prefer less feta, use less 🙂 )

Dressing

• ▢ 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• ▢ 1/2 cup olive oil
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed with a garlic press
• ▢ 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped, plus more to garnish
• ▢ 1 tsp. dried oregano (or 1 Tbsp. fresh)
• ▢ 2-3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• ▢ kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions 

• Cook the orzo to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.
  1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo
  
• In a large bowl, add the orzo and all of the salad ingredients.
  1/2 small red onion, finely diced, 1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced, 1, (14.5 oz. jar) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large, 1/2 cup peperoncini, sliced, 1/2 large cucumber, quartered, 1, (15.5 oz. can) garbanzo beans/chickpeas, drained and rinsed, 8 oz. feta cheese
  
• In a 2 cup measuring cup or bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the dressing.
  1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed with a garlic press, 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped, plus more to garnish, 1 tsp. dried oregano (or 1 Tbsp. fresh), 2-3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
  
• Pour the dressing over the salad, toss thoroughly to mix. Chill before serving or enjoy straight away. (You can keep some of the dressing on the side or make a little more to serve with the salad when ready). Garnish with more basil prior to serving, if desired.
  

Video

Notes

• The dressing recipe makes 1 cup. Double the recipe if desired. 
• Storage:
  • Refrigeration: Orzo salad can typically be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
  • Separate Dressing: If the orzo salad is already dressed, consider storing any extra dressing separately. Mixing the dressing in just before serving helps to keep the salad from becoming soggy and prevent the orzo from soaking up all the dressing.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 399kcal (20%)

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

© Author: Tawnie Graham of Kroll’s Korner