Summer Roasted Vegetable Orzo Salad with Fresh Basil
User Reviews
4.7
Summer Roasted Vegetable Orzo Salad with Fresh Basil
Description
Summer Roasted Vegetable Orzo Salad with Fresh Basil begins with roasting bite-sized broccoli, zucchini, and diced red pepper tossed in olive oil and seasoning. The orzo pasta is cooked al dente, then combined with the roasted vegetables, fresh halved cherry tomatoes, torn basil leaves, crumbled feta cheese, and toasted pine nuts. The salad is dressed in a lemon-based vinaigrette made from red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, sugar or honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper, which emulsifies to coat the ingredients evenly. It can be served at room temperature to allow flavors to meld or cold, with leftovers holding up well. Vegetables can be grilled as an alternative to roasting, and nuts may be substituted with sunflower seeds or pistachios.
Ingredients
Lemon Vinaigrette:
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh
- ½ teaspoon sugar or honey
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pinch black pepper
Vegetables:
- 2 cups broccoli florets in bite-size pieces
- 2 medium zucchini diced in bite-size pieces
- 1 red pepper seeded, stemmed and diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Salad:
- 8 ounces orzo pasta
- 1 to 2 to 2 cups cherry tomato halved
- ¼ to ½ to ½ cup basil torn or chopped, fresh
- ¼ cup feta cheese crumbled
- ¼ to ½ to ½ cup pine nuts toasted or sunflower seeds
Instructions
- For the vinaigrette, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, sugar or honey, olive oil, salt and pepper until emulsified and well-combined. Set aside (this can be made several days in advance and refrigerated - just whisk together again before using).
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Toss the vegetables with the olive oil and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes; give them a good stir and cook for 10-15 minutes more until tender.
- While the vegetables cook, bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the orzo until al dente. Immediately after cooking and draining, add the orzo to a serving bowl, drizzle on half of the vinaigrette dressing and toss to combine.
- Scrape the roasted vegetables into the bowl with the orzo and give it a good stir. Add the cherry tomatoes and fresh basil and toss to combine. Add the rest of the vinaigrette and stir until everything is evenly coated. Sprinkle the feta cheese and pine nuts on top. Serve immediately at room temperature.
Notes
- Vegetables can be grilled instead of roasted; zucchini spears and whole red peppers are good options for grilling.
- Feel free to substitute or add different vegetables to suit taste.
- The salad is best served at room temperature but is also enjoyable cold from the refrigerator.
- To save cost, substitute pine nuts with toasted sunflower seeds or chopped pistachios.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 Serving | |
| Calories | 248kcal | 12% |
| Carbohydrates | 27g | 9% |
| Protein | 7g | 14% |
| Fat | 13g | 20% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 4mg | 1% |
| Sodium | 142mg | 6% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
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