Greek Orzo Salad

Cool summer salads are where it’s at, especially in this heavy heat. This Greek-y salad is loaded with crunchy cucumbers, juicy tomatoes and creamy feta cheese, tossed in a slurp-worthy dressing that tastes great on everything! The fresh veggies pair perfectly with orzo, a pint-sized pasta that’s magically light AND filling all at the same time!

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We’ve gone on and on about salads here at the Craft Chew. Search the bar up above and you’ll find lots of favorites, like Sean’s Tasty Tabouli Salad, the perfect-for-summer Grilled Shrimp Salad and my old school favorite Sensation Salad!

This latest recipe to join the gang is our first with orzo…but it won’t be the last! Orzo is a deliciously dainty grain that falls into the pasta category. You can usually find it in the pasta section of your grocery store. Adding the rice look-alike to this salad makes it just the right amount of filling, so it’s perfect to keep in the refrigerator for a cool, quick lunch or you can add some chicken or fish for a protein packed dinner.

The best part of this salad is this tangy, herby, garlicky dressing! I promise, those precious extra minutes are well worth it for the tasty pay-off. Double (or triple) the dressing recipe and keep a batch in the refrigerator at all times!! You can shake the dressing ingredients up in a sealed jar, whisk them together in a mixing bowl or pulse it all together in a food processor.

Cook the orzo according to the package instructions, drain any excess liquid and transfer to a large mixing bowl. I like to toss in a couple tablespoons of the dressing at this point to keep the orzo from sticking to itself. Add all of your chopped and sliced veggies, parsley, feta cheese, olives and even some tangy pepperoncini, if you please! Add most of the dressing and mix everything together. Top it off with any more dressing that you like and serve it up! Since there’s no lettuce in this one, you can make this ahead of time and it’ll keep in the refrigerator for days!

Yield: Approx. 6 cups

Author: The Craft Chew

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Greek Orzo Salad

This light & fresh salad is perfect for a summertime appetizer or satisfying meal!

ingredients:

For dressing:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 cup avocado (or olive) oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. dried mint

For salad:

• 1/2 cup dried Orzo
• 1 English cucumber, halved and sliced
• 5 Campari tomatoes, sliced (see notes!)
• Chopped flat leaf parsley (about 1/4-1/2 bunch)
• 3-4 oz. feta cheese, cubed
• 1/4 red onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives
• Sumac for sprinkling (optional)

instructions:

How to cook Greek Orzo Salad

For dressing:

1. Whisk all dressing ingredients (minus oil) in a mixing bowl or food processor. Continue to whisk and drizzle oil in slowly as dressing emulsifies. Make any palate pleasing adjustments you like. Set aside or refrigerate until you're ready to dress the salad. 

For salad:

1. Cook orzo according to instructions. Once al-dente, drain excess water and transfer to large mixing bowl, toss in one or two tablespoons of the dressing. 
2. Slice and dice cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, parsley, feta & olives and add to mixing bowl. 
3. Drizzle about 2/3 of the dressing over salad and gently toss until combined. Drizzle any remaining dressing you like over salad and garnish with sumac  (optional, but delicious!)
4. This salad will be ready to eat right away or make it ahead of time  refrigerate until ready to serve.   

NOTES:

Campari tomatoes are deliciously sweet and juicy. If you can't find them, you can use 2-3 Hothouse tomatoes or about 4 Roma tomatoes.

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