What is orzo you may ask? Although it looks like rice, Orzo is actually a small variety of pasta. Because of its size, it works well in soups and salads like this one.
Greek Orzo Salad is a colorful, healthy & delicious pasta salad packed with delicious Greek flavors including dill, kalamata olives, olive oil, shrimp & feta cheese! I love to serve it as a light lunch with a side salad, or you could also serve it as a side item. You can refrigerate it up to 5 days, so it’s great for leftovers – if there are any!
Greek Orzo Salad
June 20, 2020
: 8
: 20 min
: 10 min
: 30 min
: Easy
Greek Orzo Salad is a colorful, healthy & delicious pasta salad packed with fresh veggies!
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. (8 oz.) Orzo pasta
- 1 lb. large shrimp - tails removed, peeled & deveined
- 1/2 cup scallions - diced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
- 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 English cucumber - sliced in half lengthwise & cut into half moons
- 1/4 cup red onion - small dice
- 8 oz. feta cheese - diced small
- 1/2 cup sliced pitted kalamata olives
- 1 red bell pepper - seeds removed & diced
- 1 (15.5 oz.) can of chickpeas - drained & rinsed
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tbsp of salt and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, chop scallions, cucumber, red onion, red pepper & herbs. When water boils, add orzo & simmer for 9 minutes, until it’s cooked al dente. Drain & pour into a large bowl.
- Step 2 Meanwhile, place shrimp on a foil lined sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil & sprinkle with salt & pepper. Spread out in a single layer, and roast for 5-6 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.
- Step 3 In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, and 1 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper. Pour over orzo and stir well. Add shrimp, scallions, cucumber, olives, chickpeas, bell pepper, red onion, dill & parsley to orzo. Toss well.
- Step 4 Lastly, add diced feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to all flavors to blend (or refrigerate overnight) before serving.
- Step 5 If refrigerated, bring back to room temperature before serving and taste again for seasoning.
