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Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad with Lemon Dressing (Never Dry!)

Mediterranean orzo pasta salad with orzo, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, feta and Kalamata olives in a bright lemon dressing.
Prep Time7 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: cold orzo salad, orzo pasta salad, orzo salad, summer orzo salad
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Jennifer Pallian BSc, RD

Ingredients

Salad

  • 1 lb dry orzo about 2 1/2 cups
  • 1 tsp olive oil for tossing the drained orzo
  • 1 English cucumber diced
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
  • ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives halved
  • ½ cup chopped fresh parsley, dill and/or chives save a little for garnish
  • ⅓ cup red onion finely chopped, soaked in cold water 5 minutes then drained
  • 1 cup feta cheese crumbled, save a little for garnish

Lemon Dressing

  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 lemon, zested zest of 1 lemon
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice about 2 lemons
  • 1 tsp minced garlic 1 large clove
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp dried parsley or dried oregano, if you prefer
  • ¾ tsp salt plus more to taste
  • ½ tsp honey
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Boil and drain the Orzo

  • Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil (I use 3 quarts water plus 2 tbsp kosher salt).
    Cook the orzo until just al dente, 8 to 9 minutes.
  • Drain in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold water. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with 1 tsp oil to keep the grains separate.

Make the dressing

  • Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together until emulsified.

Assemble the Salad

  • To the bowl with the orzo, add the cucumber, tomatoes, drained onion, olives and herbs.
  • Pour over the dressing and toss. Fold in the feta last.
  • Taste and adjust the salt and lemon. Chill 30 minutes, or serve at room temperature.

Video

Notes

To avoid dry orzo salad: don't dress the orzo warm, or it will drink up all the dressing. Orzo is thirsty. Dress it cold, and reserve little back to add at the last minute if making ahead. 
Storage: fridge up to 4 days. Refresh with a splash of lemon and olive oil.
Gluten free: use GF orzo or a small rice-shaped GF pasta.
Make it a meal: add grilled chicken, shrimp or chickpeas.

Nutrition

Calories: 366kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 600mg | Potassium: 220mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 500IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 150mg | Iron: 2mg