Chex Mix
Lidey Heuck
237 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
237
1 hour, plus cooling
Orzo Salad
Published May 29, 2024
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 25 minutes, plus 20 minutes’ cooling
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:8 servings
- Salt
- 1½cups orzo
- ½cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ¼cup finely chopped red onion
- 1medium garlic clove, grated or minced
- 1teaspoon dried oregano
- Black pepper
- 1pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1(15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
- ½cup pitted Kalamata olives
- 6ounces feta, crumbled or diced ½-inch (about 1½ cups)
- ½English cucumber, diced ½-inch (about 1½ cups)
- ⅓cup chopped fresh parsley, dill or mint (or a combination)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
368 calories; 22 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 32 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 11 grams protein; 519 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.
- Step 2
While the orzo cooks, make the dressing: In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, red onion, garlic, oregano, ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper; whisk vigorously until smooth.
- Step 3
Pour about half the dressing over the hot orzo, then add the tomatoes, chickpeas and olives; toss well. Set aside to bring to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Add the feta, cucumbers and herbs along with the remaining dressing. Toss, taste for seasoning and serve.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Ellen
Please don’t cook the orzo until it is soft. Make sure it is truly al dente, otherwise, adding the dressing to the hot pasta will just ensure that it is mushy with zero bite at all.
Caroline
I make a variation of this often (weekly in the summer!) and it’s a crowd pleaser. To enhance the flavor, I either roast or burst the tomatoes with extra garlic than the recipe calls for. Mixing it in when the orzo is still hot infuses the flavor nicely. For a more Italian bend, I use fresh basil and mozzarella pearls (instead of feta). Yum!
Cindy
This is an easy and delicious recipe, especially for summer. I mostly followed the recipe but left out the red onions and added 1/3 C of olive oil instead of 1/2 C. I don’t feel like I need to make other modifications when I make it again, but the beauty of this recipe is that it can be tailored to your tastes or what’s already in your fridge.
ScrarchCook
I sauté 1/2 C of the Orzo to a light brown color before cooking it with the rest of the Orzo. Gives a nice look and slightly nutty taste to the salad. I start out with 1/3 C of EVOO and add more as needed to the dressing. No other changes. Great other kind of pasta salad.
ArtEdna
I improvise a lot of pasta salads during the summer and I was pleasantly surprised to come across this recipe since it incorporates all of my go-to ingredients. Though when tomatoes aren’t quite in season I often use sun dried in oil instead of fresh. And I often choose small mozzarella balls since someone in my family is adverse to feta. Don’t sleep on white balsamic vinegar. It’s delicious but doesn’t alter the color of the salad.
Don R
Since olive oil varies, give it a taste before adding the second half of the dressing. This seemed like a lot of dressing when I read it at first, and with the oil I used, it was. I ended up using about half and adding another splash of vinegar to offset it.
Amber
Solid, could eat / will eat all summer. I was actually out of orzo so I used pearl couscous instead, worked just fine. Really versatile to add whatever things you want or remove what you don't want.
emsy d
I subbed lime juice for the vinegar that makes me choke - zucchini instead of cucumber w recent health recall - and plum tomatoes on hand sliced - so easy and delicious
Mary Buford
This is the PERFECT summer salad! The cooked, still warm orzo takes on the taste of the seasonings and the cherry tomatoes add to the visual attractiveness of the salad.
Marian
Try substituting edamame for garbanzos. Beautiful color and still very nutritious
Susan
Does anyone know if this would work well with gluten free orzo?
Sherene
I added twice the cucumbers, and it was still great. Excellent recipe to take to a summer picnic. We ate it as part of a tailgate before a concert.
Katie
Just popping on to say that this one got rave reviews from my two little ones- my almost 3-year-old thanked me for dinner and proclaimed “This is a good dinner!” We didn’t have feta but we did have halloumi and that was a fabulous swap!
Seattle Mike
Could this be made before hand, refrigerated and then brought up to room temp before serving? I'd like to have something like this that can be pulled out while doing other stuff on the BBQ and then just serve all together.
Sarah
Absolutely delicious and so versatile. Perfect meal to have ready for hungry travelers arriving for a visit. I used Trader Joe’s feta with Mediterranean herbs, which worked well. I also took the suggestion from the author to sub marinated artichoke hearts for the olives. I used the recommended amount tomatoes but next time will use a bit less. Yum, yum.
Deborah
We all enjoyed this recipe. Next time I'll add a few capers and green olives.
JayZee
The recipe as written makes a huge amount of salad. Great for a big cookout or party but too much even for a family of four. And I disagree about the amount of oil if you’re keeping it in the refrigerator for a few days. I even had to add some because it started drying out a little. It’s a good recipe though. I’ll make it again, just not so much!!
Deborah
For us there was no other course besides dessert. Four people ate almost every bite.
SP
Use half as much oil. Also agree re orzo - cook to al dente. Otherwise, followed recipe. Delicious.
yvette
Good Made without olives Good for a lot luck- makes a big quantity
Laurie
I'm not much of a cook, but even I could't screw up this recipe. I added extra olives because I love them and used one bottle of Italian dressing. I took it to a party and everyone loved it. Delicious!
Katie of Portugal
I added sun-dried tomatoes that I had marinated in olive oil and garlic...added great flavor
Dana
We love this salad and switch it up often such as chopped bell pepper instead of tomato, and usually use pesto sauce instead of red wine vinegar. It’s a hit for grownups and kids alike!
Used Artichokes Instead
My family isn't a fan of olives, so I swapped them for a can of quartered artichokes. Delish! This is a new family favorite. Next time I'll reduce the olive oil to 1/3 cup
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