Quick And Easy Mediterranean Orzo Salad
Craving a quick, easy and downright delicious meal that doesn’t compromise on flavor? Look no further! This Mediterranean Orzo Salad will sweep you off your feet with its wonderful mix of textures and tantalizing tang. It’s like having the Mediterranean sun on your plate! Plus, it’s made with simple, nutritious ingredients that make this dish just as good for your body as it is for your taste buds. This salad is perfect as a side dish, or enjoyed on its own. I packed this salad with lots of good for you ingredients like chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and one of my favorite ingredients ever, Kalamata olives. The dressing is really great as well and it couldn’t get any simpler with some super basic lemon juice and olive oil, a little bit of garlic and the perfect touch of seasoning.
Lemon – Freshly squeezed juice, each lemon contains about 3 tablespoons of juice. Olive oil – We want some nice quality stuff if you have any on hand, we aren’t cooking with our oil today so those flavors will really come through. Garlic – Use as much or little as you like. Seasoning – Salt and pepper.
Orzo – We want this small shaped pasta for our dish, you could also substitute it with couscous or any other small pasta shape. Chickpeas – This packs some great fiber and protein to our salad. Feel free to substitute any legumes you prefer. Tomatoes – I’m using cherry tomatoes halved to pack tons of tomato flavor. Olives – My favorite little salad addition, Kalamata olives. Onion – I use red onion for this recipe for that bright acidic flavor and vibrant color. Cheese – Feta cheese, crumbled up nicely. Parsley – Fresh and chopped up fine. If you only have dried parsley on hand keep in mind that 1 teaspoon dried equals 1 tablespoon fresh.
Let’s start by getting that orzo cooking. Follow the package instructions – super easy, right? While the orzo is doing its thing, we can prep the rest. Now, let’s whisk up our zesty dressing. Grab a medium-sized jar, or a bowl if you prefer, and combine your lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Give it a good shake or whisk – we want everything nice and mixed. Once it’s looking good, just set it aside. Grab a big bowl and throw in your chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, parsley, and chopped red onion. Pour over that gorgeous dressing we just made, and give it all a good toss. Now that everything is mixed and looking beautiful, top your salad with a bit more feta, parsley, and pepper if you like. And voila! Your Mediterranean Orzo Salad is ready to serve.
What Can I Pair This Salad With?
This dish pairs well with so many dishes, especially big protein heavy entrees. Definitely play around with different combinations because regardless you can’t go wrong!
Chicken Shawarma Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken Legs Gyros Roast Chicken Perfect Pork Tenderloin Lamb Beef Brisket
Leftovers
You can make this the day before and place it in the fridge in an airtight container. As it sits the flavors of all the ingredients have a chance to develop. This salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days. Unfortunately, I don’t recommend freezing this Mediterranean Salad as the integrity of the veggies will be completely gone when it thaws, resulting in a big bowl of mush.
Other Delicious Salad Recipes To Try
Mexican Street Corn Salad California Quinoa Salad Chicken Ranch Pasta Salad Greek Salad Mexican Chicken And Rice Salad Greek Pasta Salad
