Summertime Orzo Salad
Summer means it’s time to add fresh and healthy recipes into the rotation. This Summertime Orzo Salad makes a perfect side dish, but it’s so tasty that you might just want to make a meal out of it! Member’s Mark™ Oregano makes it easy to add bold, earthy flavor to this salad.
How to Make Summertime Orzo Salad a Main Course
1. Add a substantial protein
- Grilled or shredded chicken
- Shrimp, grilled or sautéed
- Salmon, flaked into the salad
- Chickpeas or white beans for a vegetarian option
- Diced steak or grilled beef
- Feta + chickpeas for a meatless Mediterranean version
2. Load it up with vegetables
Try a combination of:
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Bell peppers
- Red onion
- Artichoke hearts
- Olives
- Roasted zucchini
- Corn
- Fresh spinach or arugula
3. Add something creamy or salty
Feta is a natural choice, but you can also use:
- Goat cheese
- Parmesan
- Mozzarella pearls
- Avocado
4. Make the dressing flavorful
A simple lemon-herb dressing works especially well:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh oregano, parsley or basil
Easy main-dish combination
Mediterranean Chicken Orzo Salad
Combine:
- Cooked orzo
- Grilled chicken, sliced
- Cucumber
- Cherry tomatoes
- Red onion
- Kalamata olives
- Feta
- Fresh parsley
- Lemon-herb dressing
For an extra boost of flavor, toss in pepperoncini or roasted red peppers.
Make it more filling
A good rule is about ½ orzo + ¼ protein + ¼ vegetables, then add cheese, herbs and dressing. This keeps the salad from feeling like a side dish with a little meat thrown in.
For meal prep: Keep the dressing separate until you’re ready to eat, and add fresh greens just before serving.
Summertime Orzo Salad
Ingredients
For the Orzo Salad
- 1 recipe Italian Herb Salad Dressing (find the recipe below)
- 1-1/2 cup Orzo pasta
- 1 tbsp Red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp ReaLemon 100% Lemon Juice
- 1/2 tsp Member's Mark™ Oregano
- 1/4 tsp Member's Mark™ Sea Salt
- 2 Persian cucumbers, halved vertically, and sliced ¼-inch thick
- 2 cups Cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 4 oz Crumbled feta cheese
- 1/3 cup Red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
- 1 cup Fresh basil, chopped
- Member's Mark™ Whole Black Pepper Grinder, as desired
Italian Salad Dressing
- 1/2 cup Bertolli® Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Member’s Mark™ Pure Clover Honey
- 1/4 cup White wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 4 tbsp Fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 2 tsp Member’s Mark™ Italian Herb Seasoning Grinder
- 2 tbsp Fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Member’s Mark™ Black Peppercorn Grinder, to taste
Instructions
For the Italian Dressing
- Add all ingredients to a medium bowl. Whisk together, then set aside.
For the Orzo Salad
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta according to the package directions, or until slightly past al dente. Drain the orzo and toss it with a little olive oil, so that it doesn’t stick together. Let cool.
- In a small bowl, prepare the Italian Salad Dressing and whisk in the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Member's Mark™ Oregano, and Member's Mark™ Sea salt.
- In a large bowl, toss together the cooked orzo, cucumbers, tomatoes, chickpeas, feta, red onion, and olives. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, add half the herbs, season with freshly Member's Mark™ Ground Black Pepper, and toss to coat. Garnish with the remaining herbs and serve.
