This orzo salad is made with crisp, colorful veggies, tender pasta, garbanzo beans, fresh basil, and a zesty lemon vinaigrette. Light, vibrant, and perfect for a summer side dish!

Glass bowl filled with orzo pasta salad mixed with chickpeas, grape tomatoes, red onion, and fresh basil.

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Orzo Salad Recipe

This orzo salad is bright, fresh, and so easy to toss together. It’s quickly become one of my go-to pasta salad recipes for summer potlucks and casual lunches. You’ll love the classic Mediterranean ingredients and vibrant colors.

Inspired by Giada’s cookbook, this version uses a lighter lemon vinaigrette, extra juicy tomatoes, and a bit less onion for a more balanced flavor. Serve it as a healthy side dish with grilled chicken or alongside a warm bowl of chicken orzo soup any time of year.

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I can eat this salad on a daily basis! I have made this two times this weekend, and it didnt last long! This is definitely going in the recipe book.

Julia

Ingredient Notes

Glass bowl with separated piles of chopped basil, grape tomatoes, red onion, chickpeas, and cooked orzo pasta.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Chicken broth: Adds savory depth to the pasta. You can also use vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian.
  • Orzo: A small rice-shaped pasta that cooks quickly. If you can’t find orzo, other small shapes like ditalini, small shells, or even couscous work well.
  • Garbanzo beans:Also called chickpeas. For a creamier texture, you can substitute white beans such as cannellini.
  • Grape tomatoes: Or cherry tomatoes, use whatever looks freshest or you have in your garden.
  • Red onion: Adds a mild, savory bite. For a milder flavor, soak the chopped onion briefly in cold water.
  • Fresh basil: Gives a fresh, herby taste. You can substitute fresh parsley or add in some dill and fresh mint, too.
  • Easy vinaigrette: For the lemon salad dressing you will need olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, honey plus salt and pepper.

How to Make Orzo Salad

Lemon vinaigrette being poured over orzo salad ingredients including fresh herbs, tomatoes, chickpeas, and onions.
  1. Make orzo. Heat the broth in a large pot over high heat then add orzo and cover slightly with a lid. To avoid it being mush, cook only for 7 minutes. Drain and allow to cool completely.
  2. Combine dressing ingredients. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper for the dressing. Add more salt and pepper, to taste. 
  3. Combine salad: Toss the orzo 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.
  4. Serve. Immediately serve your orzo salad or refrigerate until ready to serve. 
Close-up of orzo salad showing chopped tomatoes, chickpeas, fresh herbs, and red onion in a glass bowl.

Recipe Tips

  • Mediterranean flavors: Add extras like feta cheese, sliced kalamata olives, bell peppers, cucumbers, arugula or spinach.
  • Other pasta or grain: You could always swap the orzo for cooked quinoa, rice, rotini, penne or even make a bulgur salad.
  • Orzo salad dressing: You could use a homemade Italian dressing or Greek salad dressing or add some Italian seasoning or dijon mustard to the orzo dressing.
  • Let pasta cool. Rinse pasta with cold water and let cool. You don’t want the veggies in the orzo salad to wilt from pasta that’s still warm!
  • Serving suggestions: Make this pasta salad into meal! Just add cooked chicken for a chicken orzo salad or serve with grilled salmon.
Top-down view of Mediterranean orzo salad with fresh basil, chickpeas, tomatoes, and lemon orzo salad dressing.

More favorite summer salad recipes include this cucumber tomato salad, creamy cucumber salad recipe and Mediterranean quinoa salad!

More Favorite Pasta Salad Recipes

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Close-up of orzo salad showing chopped tomatoes, chickpeas, fresh herbs, and red onion in a glass bowl.

Orzo Salad

5 from 6 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Cool time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8
This orzo salad is made with crisp, colorful veggies, tender pasta, garbanzo beans, fresh basil, and a zesty lemon vinaigrette. It's a light and vibrant summer side dish!
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Ingredients 

Salad:

  • 4 cups chicken broth , or vegetable broth
  • 1 to 1 ½ cups orzo , uncooked
  • 15 ounce can garbanzo beans , drained and rinsed
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes , halved
  • ½ cup chopped red onion
  • ½ cup chopped fresh basil

Dressing:

  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • ½ Tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Make orzo pasta. Heat 4 cups broth in a large pot over high heat. Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups 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) 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup vinegar, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 Tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper for the dressing. Add more salt and pepper, to taste. 
  • Toss the orzo 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. 

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Make ahead: Assemble up to 1 day in advance. Prepare as directed, however reserve some of the dressing to toss into the dish right before serving.
Storing: Store in an an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 258kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Sodium: 874mg, Potassium: 401mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 583IU, Vitamin C: 19mg, Calcium: 44mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

FAQs

How long does it take to cook orzo pasta?

To avoid mushy orzo, cook it for around 7 minutes.

What should I serve with orzo salad?

This versatile side goes well with grilled meats, fish, or pita bread and hummus for a Mediterranean-style spread.

Can I make this salad in advance?

Yes! You can easily make this dish the night before or morning of if preferred. Prepare as directed, but make sure to reserve some of the vinaigrette to toss into the salad right before serving. This keeps it from drying out. Then cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

How to store leftovers?

Store leftovers of this pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The orzo will soak up the dressing as it site, add a splash of dressing to rehydrate it if it has gone dry.