‘Tis the season to be surrounded by a lot of food! With gatherings practically every weekend and gift baskets delivered to the office, it’s everywhere! Sometimes, though, you want to step away from all of the decadence and just enjoy a light meal. This easy Mediterranean orzo salad would be perfect!
So, what is orzo anyway?
Orzo looks like rice but it’s actually pasta. It’s great in salads or as a side dish. It’s very versatile and can be mixed with all kinds of ingredients, but I mainly use it to make a couple different versions of a Mediterranean orzo salad. Here’s a simple one that I throw together and serve, usually with a seasoned piece of grilled chicken, for a quick meal.
Gathering Your Ingredients
A Mediterranean orzo salad doesn’t need much to be tasty. My preference is lean towards sundried tomatoes because they come packed in a flavorful olive oil. I just pull them out of the jar, letting only a little bit of the oil drain off, and toss them right in! What I don’t like though is the chopped garlic that’s packed in the big jar of oil. True, it may be more convenient but, I’m sure you’ll appreciate the taste of freshly-chopped garlic much better.
Speaking of olive oil, there seems to be a whole art to olive oil that I have yet to explore. But, for now, I’m going with what can generally be found in your local grocery store. At the very least, make sure you’re not grabbing old oil. Look for an extra virgin olive oil with recently-harvested olives that isn’t close to its “use by” date. I found some basic info on how to select a good one.
Tools of The Trade
I’m a kitchen gadget addict! I can spend hours wandering around in kitchen tool stores and be perfectly content. I recently learned about a tool that I didn’t know I needed until I used it in a cooking class: a citrus juicer! How did I ever survive this long without one? OMG! This thing is a game-changer! Just slice your lemon, drop it in and, squeeze for a good bit of juice… and no seeds!
Another favorite is a vegetable peeler. These not only keep you from cutting your hands while peeling your cucumbers (should you choose to peel yours), they can be used for all kinds of nifty things you’ve probably never heard of!
One gadget that I personally don’t have much love for though is a garlic press. Maybe it’s just me but, I want ALL of my garlic. Chopping it is pretty simple: smash the clove, peel away the skin and chop away!
Have Some Fun With This!
This is my basic recipe, but I switch it up with the veggies – depending on what I have on hand or have the taste for. I’ve used any combination of sun-dried or fresh tomatoes, kalamata or green olives, artichoke hearts, red onions, banana peppers, and parsley instead of mint! Be creative and have fun with this! And, if you have leftover veggies, chop them up, and sprinkle them – along with a little crumbled feta cheese – on top of a bowl of hummus to enjoy as a snack or potluck appetizer!
Mediterranean Orzo Salad
Great for a quick meal or side, this simple Mediterranea orzo pasta salad is sure to be a hit!
- 1-¼ cup orzo pasta
- ¾ cup julienned sundried tomatoes (packed in seasoned oil.)
- 1 cup sliced kalamata olives (drained)
- 1 cup cucumber (peeled and chopped)
- 4 green onions (chopped)
- 6 oz feta cheese with tomato and basil
- 1 clove of garlic (chopped)
- ½ lemon (juiced)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- Fresh mint leaves (at least 8, chopped)
- Cook the orzo as directed on the package. Drain well.
- Transfer tomatoes from the jar, with a fork, to a measuring cup without draining off the oil.
- In a large bowl, combine the orzo, tomatoes, olives, cucumber, onions, and feta cheese. Set aside.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture, add mint and stir until all ingredients are combined well.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Make the dressing
- Combine garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Slowly add the olive oil by drizzling it into the bowl, whisking continuously so that the dressing emulsifies.
Let your creativity shine and switch up the flavor by adding additional vegetables such as artichoke hearts, green olives or asparagus. Make this salad the main course by including your choice of grilled protein like chicken or shrimp.
