This recipe for orzo salad is made with whole wheat orzo and has a variety of fresh vegetables and herbs. The salad is tossed in a light lemony dressing and topped with toasted pine nuts and crumbled feta cheese. It is substantial enough for a main dish or the perfect side dish for your next barbeque. Simple, healthy, and fresh!
Orzo is a short-cut pasta, shaped like a large grain of rice, and is lighter than other types of pasta. I love using whole wheat orzo in my pasta salads, especially when making it for a crowd. People who typically do not like the taste of whole wheat pasta, do not mind it in shorter cuts of pasta like orzo.
I recently made this whole wheat orzo salad for a barbeque at a friend’s house and it was a huge hit! It’s colorful, fresh, and has an irresistible flavor combination that screams summer! Delicious as a side dish with anything you may be grilling, but hearty enough as a main dish.
I typically purchase Delallo Organic Whole Wheat Orzo from my local Whole Foods or Kroger. It’s also available on Amazon.
You can serve this salad at room temperature, but I like it best when it has been refrigerated for at least one hour. The leftovers are perfect for lunch during the week. Enjoy!
Orzo Salad With Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Pine Nuts, And Feta
Whole wheat orzo with a variety of fresh vegetables and herbs tossed in a light lemony dressing. Substantial enough for a main dish or the perfect side dish for your next barbeque. Simple, healthy, and fresh!
Ingredients
Salad
- 16 oz whole wheat orzo pasta
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes I used julienne cut
- 1 small red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cucumber, roughly chopped
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, halved
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, sliced
- 1 cup toasted pine nuts
- 6 oz feta cheese, crumbled
- fresh Italian parsley, chopped for garnish
- salt and pepper to taste
Dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
- 1-2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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For the dressing, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, mint, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
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Cook whole wheat orzo according to package directions. Do not overcook. Drain the orzo and transfer to a large serving bowl. Toss with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Let cool to room temperature.
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Add the sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper, onion, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, olives, and basil to the orzo. Toss with dressing, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
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At this point, if I have time, I like to refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Just before serving stir in toasted pine nuts and feta. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Recipe Notes
This recipe makes a large salad. Can easily be halved.
Try some of my other go-to summer salads.
Green Bean Salad with Balsamic Glaze
Whole Wheat Couscous Salad with Feta
Laura Noelle says
This looks (and sounds) amazing! I love that you found a way to slip in the whole wheat in a way most people won’t even notice. So clever!
smallgesturesmatter@gmail.com says
Thank you Laura! 🙂
Delia says
This looks so delicious! I love how much flavor sun-dried tomatoes bring to a dish. And I have to admit that Feta cheese is one of my favorite things to add to any salad!
smallgesturesmatter@gmail.com says
Thanks Delia! I am a huge feta fan too! 🙂
Chhavi | Work at Home says
This sounds delicious and I am excited to try this out today.
Melissa says
Oh wow that looks and sounds so good! I will be trying this soon and maybe being it to my next potluck!
smallgesturesmatter@gmail.com says
Thanks Melissa! Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Stacy Zant says
Sun dried tomatoes seems to make everything taste better. Loved how you prepared and garnished this salad. I will have to try to make this for our next gathering 💕
smallgesturesmatter@gmail.com says
I agree Stacy! Sun-dried tomatoes are a staple around here. Thanks so much!:)
Chhavi says
This looks amazing. I am definitely going to try it this weekend. My husband and I love a lot of these ingredients so it is perfect dish.
smallgesturesmatter@gmail.com says
I hope you enjoy it! 🙂