Orzo Salad with a Homemade Vinaigrette

This Orzo Salad is one of my favorite Summer side dishes! Topped with a delicious homemade vinaigrette, this orzo pasta is so fresh and loaded with fantastic flavor. Such a healthy and filling side dish recipe!

Orzo Pasta

Summer is coming and I cannot wait! We love grilling in the Summer time and inviting friends over, so I’m always on the hunt for delicious Summer sides. This orzo salad is so fresh and filling and is the perfect side dish recipe!

I adapted this orzo pasta from Giada’s cookbook. The main thing that I changed was that I only made half of the dressing, used less onion and more tomatoes. She also adds fresh mint to her orzo pasta salad and I did try it with fresh mint (which definitely adds a nice touch), but I don’t think it’s necessary to buy it just for this recipe. If you have it in your garden, definitely add some in. So delicious!

Variations for this Orzo Salad

• Add grilled chicken and feta cheese to make the orzo salad a main dish
• Use parsley instead of basil and add in cucumbers, sliced olives and feta cheese to turn it into a Greek orzo salad
• Add in chopped bell peppers and cucumbers for more veggies
• Omit the chickpeas and add in your other favorite vegetables

This orzo salad is so tasty and such an easy side dish to whip up quickly. This has become one of my favorite orzo recipes and a dish that guests love. Enjoy! :)

Love this orzo salad? You’ll like these other Summer salads too:

• Pesto Chicken Salad 
• The BEST Cucumber Tomato Salad
• Ramen Noodle Cabbage Salad
• Broccoli Salad with Bacon 

Orzo Pasta Salad

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: orzo recipes, orzo salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Cool time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 338

Author: Jamielyn Nye

This Orzo Salad is one of my favorite Summer side dishes! Topped with a delicious homemade vinaigrette, this orzo pasta is so fresh and loaded with fantastic flavor. Such a healthy and filling side dish recipe! 

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Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups orzo
• 15 oz garbanzo beans (1 can, drained and rinsed)
• 1 pint grape tomatoes (halved)
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

• Heat the broth in a large pot over high heat. Add the orzo and cover slightly with a lid. Cook for 7 minutes, or until cooked. Drain and allow to cool completely.
• Whisk together (or shake in a jar) the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper for the dressing. Add more salt and pepper, to taste. 
• Toss the orzo salad with the beans, tomatoes, onion, basil and enough vinaigrette to coat. If serving later in the day, reserve some of the dressing to toss into the orzo pasta right before serving. Refrigerate orzo salad until ready to serve. 

Nutrition

Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 730mg | Potassium: 470mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 585IU | Vitamin C: 19.5mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2.4mg

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