Vegan Orzo Salad

Name: Vegan Orzo Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked dry orzo or other small pasta, GF if needed; 10 ounces broccoli, cut into small florets; ½ teaspoon fine sea salt; ½ cup kalamata olive brine; ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons); 1 clove garlic or ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ⅓ cup raw pumpkin seeds or ½ cup raw cashews; 1 medium English/hot house cucumber, chopped; 6 ounces grape tomatoes (about 1.5 cups), halved; ½ to ⅔ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved; 1 small red, yellow, or orange pepper, chopped, optional; freshly cracked black pepper; fresh basil or parsley, optional; vegan feta cheese, optional

User Reviews

5.0

3 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings
8 servings
Calories
160 kcal
Course
Side Dish
Cuisine
American

Vegan Orzo Salad

Finn Russell

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This vegan orzo salad is lemony, fresh, full of veggies, and perfect for spring and summer gatherings. Great as a side dish, or add chickpeas and call it lunch! Vegan and oil-free with nut-free and gluten-free options.

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Ingredients

Servings

1 cup uncooked dry orzo or other small pasta, GF if needed This is a little less than half of a standard 16 oz. package.
10 ounces broccoli, cut into small florets
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup kalamata olive brine See Notes.
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
1 clove garlic or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
⅓ cup raw pumpkin seeds or ½ cup raw cashews If you include oil in your diet, feel free to sub extra virgin olive oil.
1 medium English/hot house cucumber, chopped
6 ounces grape tomatoes (about 1.5 cups), halved
½ to ⅔ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
1 small red, yellow, or orange pepper, chopped, optional
freshly cracked black pepper
fresh basil or parsley, optional
vegan feta cheese, optional

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Instructions

Cook orzo in salted water according to package directions, just until al dente. Do not overcook. Drain in a colander, toss and rinse with cold water until cool.
Place broccoli florets in a food processor, and pulse until uniformly broken down into small, rice-size pieces. If any larger pieces remain, dump everything into a bowl, and put the large pieces back in the food processor. Pulse again.
Pre-heat the now empty pasta pot over medium heat. Add broccoli rice to pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until bright green, 3 to 4 minutes. The broccoli will become fragrant and smell slightly nutty or sesame-like. Season with sea salt. Remove from heat and let cool.
To make the dressing, in a blender combine ½ cup olive brine, ⅓ cup lemon juice, garlic, and pumpkin seeds (or cashews). Blend on high until smooth.
In the pasta pot or a very large mixing bowl, combine the orzo, broccoli rice, and about ⅔ of the dressing. Stir to combine. Fold in the cucumber, tomatoes, olives, and red pepper, if using. Taste, and add plenty of freshly cracked black pepper, if desired, as well as more dressing. Garnish with thinly sliced basil or chopped parsley and vegan feta, if using.

Notes

Selecting olives and brine
I used 365 Whole Foods brand organic, pitted kalamata olives. If you're using the lemon-olive brine dressing included in the recipe, look for jarred olives with similar ingredients: kalamata olives, water, red wine vinegar, sea salt.
Storage
Store orzo pasta salad in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Because of the high water content of cucumber, it's best consumed within 1 to 2 days.