Orzo Pasta Salad

What is orzo pasta salad?

Orzo pasta salad is a cold salad made with orzo, a small, rice-shaped pasta that’s perfect for soaking up dressings and bold flavors. This version leans Mediterranean, with crunchy cucumbers, sweet peppers, juicy tomatoes, and a fresh herb trio of dill, parsley, and oregano. Feta and olives bring salty punch, while olive oil and red wine vinegar tie everything together.

Ingredients for This Mediterranean Orzo Salad

• Orzo – Orzo is pasta shaped like rice, made from semolina flour (coarsely ground durum wheat). It’s common in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine and ideal for salads.
• Cucumbers – Persian cucumbers are ideal—crisp, sweet, and seedless. Any thin-skinned or seedless cucumber works. Peel and deseed if needed.
• Tomatoes – Use what’s ripe and not too watery. Cherry or grape tomatoes are perfect. If using larger tomatoes, dice and remove extra liquid and seeds.
• Peppers – Sweet bell peppers add crunch and color. Any color works—use what you have.
• Scallions* – I love scallions in this for their mellow onion-y flavor but if you don’t have any available you can most certainly substitute in some chopped shallot or red onion.
• Dill – You want fresh dill here. That slightly grassy, sweet and anise flavor gives a big flavor boost to this whole dish. You can use dried dill in a pinch, but fresh dill is ideal.
• Parsley – Chopped flat-leaf parsley adds freshness and color. Leave it roughly chopped for texture.
• Olives – Any olives you are great. I went with some cured black olives and Castelvetrano olives. Make sure to pit them and tear into small bite size pieces.
• Feta Cheese – The feta cheese gives this Mediterranean orzo salad a delicious salty and sharp bite. It packs a ton of flavor and since it’s one of the bolder flavors used in this recipe, get a good one.
• Oregano – A little pinch of dried oregano goes a long way to flavor this salad. The combo with the feta cheese and other herbs gives it a Greek orzo salad vibe. So good!
• Olive Oil – You want a really good extra virgin olive oil for this recipe. You’re using lots in the salad and it should be a major flavor component.
• Red Wine Vinegar – The red wine vinegar brings the whole salad together. It brightens up the whole dish and adds a good hit of acid to balance everything out.

*Quick tip: if raw onions are too much for you, just too strong, you can mellow them out by thinly slicing and soaking them in ice water. It will draw out some of the sulphur compounds in the onion, making them more palatable. And it also gives them a nice bit of extra crunch. They should only need to soak for about 5 to 10 minutes.

How do I make orzo pasta salad?

1. Cook The Orzo Pasta
   First step is getting your orzo cooked. Boil it in salted water until al dente and drain.
   Toss it in a touch of olive oil so it doesn’t stick together and then let it cool. It needs to be cool enough it won’t cook the vegetables, wilt the herbs or melt the cheese. Alternatively you can rinse it under cold water. Rinsing it will remove any starch from the surface of the orzo, which helps the oil and vinegar stick, so I typically prefer to simple let it cool, bit either way works.
2. Mix Salad
   Once the orzo has cooled to room temp toss in the rest of your ingredients and mix well. Adjust the seasoning if you need to, more salt, pepper, oil or vinegar. Then enjoy!

How long will orzo pasta salad last?

This orzo pasta salad can last up to 5 days in the refrigerator. I think it gets better as it sits for a day and all the flavors combine. Store it in the fridge in an airtight container.

What to serve with mediterranean orzo pasta salad? What goes with orzo pasta salad?

With Grilled Meat or Fish

I ate this with some grilled chicken, yogurt flatbread and tzatziki. A pretty typical meal in this household, but any grilled meat or fish goes great with this orzo salad.

On a bed of greens

Top a bed of greens with this and you have an orzo pasta salad salad! It’s a quick meal idea and great for a quick and easy summer dinner.

With grilled vegetables

Pair this with a spread of some grilled vegetables like zucchini, eggplant and peppers and add a side of hummus or tzatziki and you have another easy vegetarian meal.

What are some other orzo salad ideas?

Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad – Toss your orzo with cucumbers, feta, dill, parsley, dried oregano, olive oil and lots of lemon juice for a tart lemony version of this orzo salad.

Orzo Pasta Salad with Sun-dried Tomatoes – Instead of the bell peppers and fresh tomatoes, use a big handful of chopped sun-dried tomatoes for a delicious twist on a mediterranean orzo pasta salad.

Orzo with Chic Peas and Roasted Peppers – Toss in a can of drained chic peas, and use roasted red peppers instead of fresh bell peppers. This one sounds so good! Might need to make this one next…

More Delicious Mediterranean Recipes To Try:

Did you try this Orzo Pasta Salad recipe? Leave a comment below with your thoughts or share your version on Instagram by tagging @TheMostHungry. I’d love to see how you made it your own!