Lemon Orzo Salad with Chicken
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Total Time
45 mins
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Servings
6
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Calories
3514 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Lemon Orzo Salad with Chicken
Description
Lemon Orzo Salad with Chicken blends cooked orzo pasta with a variety of fresh ingredients including matchstick-cut zucchini, halved grape tomatoes, finely chopped red onion, diced bell pepper, and sliced scallions. Kalamata olives and cubed fresh mozzarella add briny and creamy notes, while dry salami slices and chunks of rotisserie chicken provide savory proteins. Italian parsley and chiffonade-cut basil enhance the salad’s herbaceous qualities. Dressed with a lemon vinaigrette, the dish is tossed to balance flavors and textures, offering a cool and slightly tangy pasta salad that holds well for serving chilled or at room temperature.
The salad’s mixture of vegetables and proteins makes it suitable as a light meal on its own or a hearty side dish. The firmness of the orzo and fresh vegetables ensures a pleasing bite, while the vinaigrette adds brightness. The use of precooked rotisserie chicken simplifies preparation.
The salad’s dressing amount can be adjusted after tossing, allowing for personal preference in tanginess or moisture. Herb garnish is added last to retain fresh flavor and color, enhancing the final presentation.
Ingredients
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 1 medium zucchini cut into matchsticks
- 2 cups grape tomato red and yellow if available, halved
- ½ cup red onion finely chopped
- 1 bell pepper diced (use a jarred pepper or roast one yourself at 400° for 20 minutes or until blackened, roasted, peeled, and seeded
- 3 scallions thinly sliced
- ½ cup kalamata olives seeded and halved
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese cut into 1/2" cubes or use the BelGioso "pearls", fresh
- 4 ounces salami sliced into bite size rounds or cut into 1/2" pieces, dry
- 3 cups chicken breast from a rotisserie chicken, cut into 1/2'" pieces, meat
- ¼ cup Italian parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons basil cut into chiffonade
- ⅓ cup lemon vinaigrette plus more if needed
Instructions
- Cook the orzo until al dente -- according to package directions. Strain the pasta through a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside to cool while you prep the other ingredients.
- Combine the zucchini, tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, scallions, olives, scallions, cheese, salami, chicken and parsley in a large bowl. Add the cooled orzo.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning, and if it needs extra vinaigrette, add it one tablespoon at a time until it's how you like it.
- Cut the basil into a chiffonade and sprinkle over the salad just before serving. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 3514 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 351.4kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 24.86g | 8% |
| Protein | 28.94g | 58% |
| Fat | 14.86g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat | 5.48g | 27% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1.53g | 9% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 6.17g | 31% |
| Trans Fat | 0.01g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 77.68mg | 26% |
| Sodium | 900.61mg | 38% |
| Potassium | 687.42mg | 15% |
| Fiber | 2.65g | 11% |
| Sugar | 3.77g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 1009.88IU | 20% |
| Vitamin C | 21.98mg | 24% |
| Calcium | 136.31mg | 14% |
| Iron | 1.58mg | 9% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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