Lemon orzo salad with feta

I love a good pasta salad like this Lemon orzo salad with feta, it is a dish that works great for meal prep and can be served all year round! Just like this Caprese pesto pasta salad or this gluten free and protein packed Red lentil pasta salad.

This Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad recipe is the perfect side, bursting with fresh flavors and a mix of crunchy veggies! It can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge, perfect to bring to the pot luck, bbq or summer picnics.

Ingredients

To make this feta orzo pasta salad, all that’s needed are the ingredients listed below.

For the full recipe with the quantities, see the recipe card below.

Salad

• Orzo, a small pasta that has a similar shape as rice, traditionally made from white flour (also known as risoni). It can be substituted with other small pasta or a gluten free orzo if desired.
• Red onion, ads a wonderful crunch and bite to this salad. Spring onions or shallots are another great option.
• Bell pepper, I used red in this lemony orzo salad, use any colour of choice.
• Cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• Seedless (English) cucumber, chopped
• Feta cheese, it’s salty, creamy and absolutely delicious in this lemon orzo feta salad. For a vegan option, use vegan feta cheese alternative.
• Fresh basil or parsley, herbs adds freshness and lots of flavor to this pasta salad.

Dressing

• Olive oil, a good quality extra virgin olive oil tastes great in this dressing. 
• Lemon, both the zest and juice for a lovely lemon flavor.
• Garlic, gives this dressing a punch of flavour.
• Honey, to balance out the acid from the lemon juice. For a vegan option, use maple syrup.
• Dijon mustard, just a little adds a lot of flavor. 
• Spices, sea salt, black pepper and optional Red chili flakes. If you don’t like chilli, just leave it out completely.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Making this healthy veggie orzo salad recipe is fast and easy. Just follow the step by step photos below. 

For the full instructions see the recipe card at the bottom.

Step 5: Pour over the dressing and gently toss. Top with some extra basil and feta cheese before serving, enjoy!

Hint: If you make this summer orzo salad ahead of time, give it a toss before serving since the lemon vinaigrette will gather at the bottom of the bowl. Taste and add more salt and freshly ground black pepper if desired.

Substitutions

• Spicy – For a spicer salad, add a little extra red chill flakes or even sliced fresh chili. If you like it mild, just omit the chilli flakes all together. 
• Vegan – for a vegan version, use maple syrup instead of honey in the dressing and a vegan feta cheese. 
• Pasta – It can be substituted with other small pasta or a gluten free orzo if desired.
• Herbs – instead of chopped fresh dill, frozen dill can also be used. Other herbs like parsley, basil or cilantro also works well. 
• Onion – The red onion, ads a nice crunch and bite to this salad. It can also be replaced with pickled red onion, copped spring onions or shallots. If you don’t like onions, just leave them out.
• Herbs – This orzo salad gets a lot of flavor from a mix of fresh basil and dill that goes so well with the lemony dressing. Use just one of the herbs, or a mix of other herbs like parsley, oregano or chives.
• Bell pepper – This recipe uses red bell pepper, but you can use any color of choice. Another great option is to use roasted red peppers.

Another great salad to try is this Curried couscous salad or this Quinoa and lentil salad.

Variations

• Olives – Add some pitted and sliced olives of choice, kalamata olives tastes great.
• Beans – For some extra protein, add some canned chickpeas, beans or lentils to this lemon orzo salad.
• Nuts – For a little crunch, add some toasted nuts of choice or pine nuts. For an allergy friendly salad, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds are good options.
• Greens – Toss in some small greens into this veggie orzo salad, baby spinach or arugula are some great options.
• Veggies – Add more veggies to this salad, some great options are, sliced avocado, chopped artichoke hearts, chopped sun-dried tomatoes or your favourite veggies.

This orzo veggie salad can be served on its own, or why not serve it with some delicious homemade Naan bread or a slice of this No Knead Whole Wheat Bread.

Storage

This vegetable orzo salad can be prepared ahead of time and makes it a great meal prep or to bring to the summer bbq or picnic. Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4 days. Keep a big batch in the fridge to ad as a healthy side to any meal.

Salad does not freeze well, so I don’t recommend that.

Salad

Pasta recipes

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