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4.8 from 93 votes

Lemon Orzo Salad with Chicken

This lemon orzo salad recipe is a fresh, healthy, and colorful summer salad with chicken that's a breeze to make! It's ready in about 30 minutes.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 6
Calories: 270 kcal
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked orzo
  • 2 mini cucumbers (or 1/2 English cucumber) chopped
  • 1 cup little tomatoes (grape/cherry/etc.) cut into quarters
  • 2 tablespoons red onion chopped
  • 2 cups (loosely packed) fresh arugula optional
  • 2 cups cooked/rotisserie chicken
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil sliced thin
Dressing:
  • 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice + zest of 1 lemon
  • 2.5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Boil a salted pot of water and cook the orzo al dente according to package directions. Once it's done, rinse it with cool water and let it drain thoroughly. Transfer to a large bowl.
  2. Meanwhile, prep all the salad ingredients and add them to the bowl. If you're not going to eat the salad right away, I suggest skipping the arugula.
  3. Add the dressing ingredients to a jar or small bowl, and whisk/shake until well combined.
  4. Toss the salad with the dressing. Add more lemon/oil if needed. I also add plenty of salt & pepper - there's a lot of pasta in here, so you need to salt it well so it doesn't taste bland.

Notes

  • This recipe makes quite a lot of pasta salad. If served with nothing else, this could serve 4 adults. You can easily get 6+ servings out of this. If you know you're going to have leftovers, I suggest either leaving out the arugula or only tossing it with the portion of the salad you'll be eating right away. Without arugula, this salad will last in the fridge for a few days no problem.
  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition Information

Calories 270kcal (14%) Carbohydrates 22g (7%) Protein 19g (38%) Fat 12g (18%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Cholesterol 42mg (14%) Sodium 167mg (7%) Potassium 256mg (7%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 491IU (10%) Vitamin C 5mg (6%) Calcium 116mg (12%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 270

% Daily Value*

Calories 270kcal 14%
Carbohydrates 22g 7%
Protein 19g 38%
Fat 12g 18%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 42mg 14%
Sodium 167mg 7%
Potassium 256mg 5%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 491IU 10%
Vitamin C 5mg 6%
Calcium 116mg 12%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.