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Simple to prep and so flavorful, this easy Lemon Orzo Salad with Feta is so quick to toss together and a perfect side dish for any meal. Loaded with fresh herbs, cucumbers, peppers and lots of feta. Lemon zest and juice give the salad a vibrant and fresh flavor everyone will love!
Pasta in salads is one of my favorite things. And I am not talking about Italian dressing over pasta with some cheese and veggies.
I am talking Tortellini Caprese Pasta Salad, or Tomato Basil Rotini Salad--pasta salads that everyone will come back for seconds.
And this Lemon Orzo Salad with Feta is a new favorite for this summer's pot luck, bursting with fresh flavors and all the veggies!
Why You Will Love this Lemon Orzo Salad:
- Minimal prep time. In the time it takes you to cook up the orzo, you can have everything chopped and ready to go. Once the orzo is done, it's a matter of tossing it all in a bowl and then digging in. Simple salad for the win!
- Loaded with fresh veggies. I mean, it is a salad right? All the cucumbers and peppers plus fresh basil and parsley.
- Great for meal prepping. If you are a meal prepper, this orzo salad is a perfect option to make early in the week and then enjoy later on. The longer the salad has to sit, the more flavorful it will be!
What is Orzo?
Orzo is also known as risoni. It's a form of short-cut pasta, shaped like very similar to rice. Orzo is traditionally made from white flour.
In Italian the word orzo actually means "barley" so it's not as commonly used there. It's most commonly found in soups, pilafs, salads and more.
You can find it in whole grain and gluten free varieties, but it's definitely a pasta and not a grain like rice!
Ingredients and Swaps:
- orzo: I would stick to orzo in this recipe as the very small pasta is what makes this salad. There are some options for similar pastas such as ditalini or oricchiette. There are several gluten free orzo options out there if you need this Lemon Orzo Salad to be made without gluten.
- English cucumber: You can use another kind of cucumber if that is what you have on hand. I prefer the English cucumber because the seeds are super small and the skin is much thinner. No need to remove the skin and the cucumber itself is much sweeter with the lack of large seeds.
- bell pepper: I use red for this salad, but orange or yellow would be great as well. I wouldn't opt for a green bell pepper as the others are sweeter options.
- lemon: the star of the show in this salad. The lemon juice make this all the more vibrant and flavorful. Fresh is best for sure!
- honey: This will balance the sour from the lemon in this Lemon Orzo Salad as it can be a bit powerful without it. The honey or sweetener is not 100% necessary so you can wait until the salad is prepared and taste to determine if you would like to add it.
- garlic: Another ingredient you can layer on for more flavor. Start with the 2 and then add more as desired.
- feta: Regular and full fat is what I use in this orzo salad. You can use a lower fat version if desired.
- herbs: Fresh basil and fresh parsley add great flavor. I would not substitute dry herbs here unless absolutely necessary. The flavor will be different for sure. Also, ¼ cup of each is only a suggestion, I love to add more especially on top when serving.
- olive oil: Using a high quality olive oil is ideal, but totally unnecessary. Use what you have on hand. Also, have some extra to drizzle and toss with leftovers that have been sitting in the fridge for a couple of days.
How to make Lemon Orzo Salad:
- Cook the orzo and drain, rinse several times with cool water.
- Add all ingredients for the Lemon Orzo Salad into a large bowl and toss.
- Chill until ready to serve.
Does it get any easier? Nope, sure doesn't!
Recipe Tips:
- For best results, chill before serving. While this easy Lemon Orzo Salad can be eaten freshly tossed, chilling for about 30 minutes will allow the flavors to meld and really soak in. If time allows, try to chill.
- Toss with an extra drizzle of olive oil before serving. If the salad has been chilling for more than a few hours, add extra olive oil and toss to add back in the moisture that may have been absorbed. For best results, always toss just before serving.
- Make it a full meal! Add some strips of grilled chicken over top for added protein and make this salad a full meal!
Storage Instructions:
For best results, refrigerate in an air tight container for up to 5 days. Add an extra drizzle of olive oil before serving and toss. Allowing the lemon orzo salad to sit out for about 10 minutes before serving also helps some of the solidified olive oil come to room temperature.
Freezing is not recommended for this salad. The vegetables will become icy and water logged and do not thaw the same at all.
Other Orzo Salad Add-Ins:
Huge fan of this salad exactly as it is, however, there are some delicious ways to vary it or add to that make it even tastier!
- cherry or grape tomatoes, add them in halved or quartered
- kalamata olives
- other fresh herbs such as oregano, mint, etc.
- toasted pine nuts
- chopped baby spinach
- chickpeas
- arugula
Other Salad Recipes:
- Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
- Crunchy Strawberry Pecan Chicken Salad
- Strawberry Feta Quinoa Salad
- Cucumber Feta Quinoa Salad
- Caprese Farro Salad
- Grilled Zucchini Pasta Salad
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Easy Lemon Orzo Salad with Feta
Ingredients
- 2 c orzo uncooked
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 English cucumber, chopped
- ½ red onion, small diced
- 6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ c fresh parsley, chopped
- ¼ c fresh basil, chopped
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon 1.5-2 oz juice
- ½ c extra virgin olive oil
- 1 T honey
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked pepper
Instructions
- Cook orzo according to package instructions. Chop and prep all veggies.
- When orzo is cooked al dente, drain the water and then pour cold water over the orzo to cool it off. Drain the water completely.
- Add the orzo and all other ingredients into a large bowl (you can wait to add the honey until after tossing.) Toss the salad well. Add more olive oil if desired and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Chill until ready to serve. Toss just before serving and add an extra drizzle of olive oil if desired. Refrigerate in a sealed container for about 5 days.
Notes
- For best results, chill before serving. While this easy Lemon Orzo Salad can be eaten freshly tossed, chilling for about 30 minutes will allow the flavors to meld and really soak in. If time allows, try to chill.
- Toss with an extra drizzle of olive oil before serving. If the salad has been chilling for more than a few hours, add extra olive oil and toss to add back in the moisture that may have been absorbed. For best results, always toss just before serving.
Nutrition
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Jan says
Loved this salad…as did everyone else! Have you ever substituted goat cheese for the feta? I have a family member who won’t eat feta and I want to make it for a party.
Lorie says
Hi! Yes--use the goat cheese crumbles versus a goat cheese log and you should be just fine!
Lila says
This recipe was super easy to reproduce. I didn't have any basil, so I just omitted that. I cut the orzo in half to limit the carbs, and added chopped fresh baby spinach and fresh kale. It was SO good. Very light, but flavorful. The honey did well to balance the lemon without either becoming a dominant flavor. I love the texture of the added greens, reminds me that I'm eating something especially good for my body. Mine didn't look as pretty as the picture but it's definitely a recipe I'll keep and reuse over and over. A perfect companion to a lighter meat like fish or chicken, but also very filling on its own.
Lorie says
Love this, Lila! It's one of our favorites!
Christine Paquin says
So delicious!! beautiful combination of flavours and easy to make. Thanks
Lorie says
Couldn't agree more!
Donna says
So yummy! I added a little extra feta, but I didn’t change a thing and it is my new favorite salad to bring to parties because it’s easy to make!
Lorie says
Extra feta is always a great idea. Glad you love this one--it's our favorite!
Dakota says
Hi, how many servings or grams is the nutrition information based off of?
Thank you!
Lorie says
Hi! It’s only an estimate, but based off of roughly 8, 1 1/4 cup servings.
Adrienne says
Is it okay to combine and mix the EVOO, lemon juice/zest and honey and then top?
Lorie says
Hi! Absolutely you can!
Margot says
I have replaced the basil with dill, and used red and yellow peppers. Also grated lemon zest. This makes a wonderful salad meal when topped with cold shrimp,😋
Lorie says
Yum! And I love the use of dill in this!!
Gayle says
My local supermarket makes an orzo salad. Instead of fresh tomato and cucumber they use sun-dried tomato and olives.
Your one with cucumber sounds lovely.
Lorie says
Hope you give it a try and love it!