04/20/2026
Orzo pasta salad 🥗
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups (250 grams) of dry orzo pasta
1 recipe Greek salad dressing *(look below)
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 large English cucumbers. Halved vertically and sliced 1/4 inches thick
2 cups of halved cherry tomatoes
4 ounces of feta cheese. I like buying the block of feta, I find it much nicer.
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup of pitted Kalamata olives
1/2 cup of fresh basil or fresh mint. (I used basil in mine)
Freshly ground black pepper
*Greek salad dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove minced
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
-Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. cook the orzo for 6 minutes (or as package recommends) I think a little AL DENTE is good for this.
-Drain the orzo and toss in a little olive oil. Place in a baking pan to cool. Not mandatory, but I place in the fridge to help it cool faster while I continue preparing.
-Prepare your Greek salad dressing. Mix the olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, dried oregano, Dijon mustard and sea salt in a side dish or mason jar.
-Prepare your veggies and feta. Slice and dice everything.
*** TIP: If you don’t like strong red onion. After you slice them, place them in ice cold water for about 15 minutes then pat dry. I use a strainer and a bigger bowl to make this process easier. (As seen in video) this helps cut the acidic overpowered flavor a bit.
-Grab a large mixing bowl. By this time your orzo should be cooled down in the fridge. Mix in the cooked Orzo, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta, red onion, and olives. Give that a toss. Add in 1/2 teaspoon of oregano, and 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, and the 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
-Drizzle the Greek dressing over the top. Add some fresh pepper and basil or mint. Do a little taste test and adjust to your liking.
Now your yummy Mediterranean pasta salad is ready to be served :)
I like to serve this on top of a fresh bed of spinach leaves.
Have a great picnic 🧺☺️🌱
