Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Creamy Lemon Dressing
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Total Time
20 mins
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Servings
8 servings
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Calories
204 kcal
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Course
Side Dish
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Cuisine
Mediterranean
Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Creamy Lemon Dressing
Description
The Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Creamy Lemon Dressing highlights orzo pasta as the base, cooked al dente and slightly cooled. The salad incorporates several diced ingredients including artichoke hearts, pimento, red onion, jalapeno peppers, black olives, chickpeas, yellow bell pepper, sun dried tomatoes, and peperoncini peppers, providing a diverse texture and flavor profile. The feta cheese adds a salty, creamy element to the salad.
The dressing combines olive oil and fresh lemon juice with honey and Dijon mustard, blended until creamy, which coats the salad lightly. The bell pepper and sun dried tomatoes add sweetness and acidity, while the olives and feta contribute savoriness. Chilling the salad allows the flavors to mingle and the textures to firm up, making it refreshing and balanced.
This orzo salad pairs well as a side dish with grilled meats or can be served as a light, flavorful dish on its own. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste before serving. It benefits from a gentle toss with additional dressing after chilling to revive the flavors.
Using a food chopper to dice ingredients uniformly enhances the salad's presentation and ease of eating. The salad keeps well refrigerated and can be prepared ahead of time, allowing the flavors to fully develop.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb orzo pasta cooked in plenty of salted water until al dente, and briefly rinsed in cold water
- 1/3 cup artichoke hearts canned, drained and diced
- 1/4 cup pimento finely diced or the contents of a small jar
- 1/3 cup red onion diced
- 1/4 cup jalapeno pepper finely diced
- 1/4 cup black olives chopped
- 1/2 cup chickpeas canned
- 1/3 cup yellow bell pepper diced
- 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes marinated, chopped or thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup peperoncini peppers diced
- 1/2 cup feta cheese diced
creamy lemon dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil (I use this wonderful lemon olive oil)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard creamy
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put all the cooked pasta in a large bowl. It's ok if it's still warm.
- Add the rest of the salad ingredients to the bowl.
- To make the dressing, put the ingredients in a small bowl or cup and use an immersion blender to blend into a creamy consistency. A wide mouth canning jar works perfectly for this. Taste and adjust if needed. Note: an immersion blender works best when you blend in a jar just a bit larger than the head of the blender.
- Toss the salad with enough dressing to moisten everything, but not drench it.
- Refrigerate the salad until chilled. When ready to serve, toss with more dressing and season with salt and pepper if needed.
Notes
- Use a food chopper or dicer to create evenly sized pieces for a neater salad presentation and easier eating experience.
- Cook orzo pasta until al dente and rinse briefly with cold water to stop cooking and remove excess starch before combining with the other ingredients.
- Adjust dressing ingredients to taste, balancing acidity and sweetness as needed before tossing with the salad.
- Refrigerate the salad after tossing so the flavors meld, then toss again with a bit more dressing just before serving.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 204 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 204kcal | 10% |
| Carbohydrates | 28g | 9% |
| Protein | 5g | 10% |
| Fat | 8g | 12% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 158mg | 7% |
| Potassium | 143mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 222IU | 4% |
| Vitamin C | 23mg | 26% |
| Calcium | 17mg | 2% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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