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Vegan Orzo Salad
5 from 3 votes

Vegan Orzo Salad

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.

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

Ingredients

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

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

Nutrition Information

Calories 160kcal (8%) Carbohydrates 22g (7%) Protein 6g (12%) Fat 6g (9%) Cholesterol 0mg (0%) Fiber 3g (12%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 160

% Daily Value*

Calories 160kcal 8%
Carbohydrates 22g 7%
Protein 6g 12%
Fat 6g 9%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Fiber 3g 12%

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