Name: Lemon Orzo Salad
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 1-lb package Orzo Pasta; 1 cup Feta Cheese; ⅓ cup Olive Oil; ⅓ cup Parmesan; 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice; 1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest; 1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley; 1 teaspoon Powdered Oregano; 1 Garlic Clove minced; 1 teaspoon Black Pepper; 1 teaspoon Salt; 1 cup Diced Tomato; 1 cup Diced Cucumber; ¾ cup Sliced Olives; ¾ cup Diced Red Onion; ½ cup Green Onion

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Lemon Orzo Salad is a super easy meal or side dish recipe. It’s a wonderful recipe that everyone will enjoy. Made with fresh vegetables, tender orzo, and all the best flavors from feta cheese, lemon zest, and more, this recipe is worth every minute of chill time.

This Orzo Salad with Lemon is loaded with fresh herbs, feta and parmesan cheese, and all the best tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, onions, and other tender veggies you can imagine.

Table Of Contents

Lemon Orzo Salad
What is Orzo?
How To Make Lemon Orzo Salad
Should Orzo Be Served Hot or Cold?

Lemon Orzo Salad

Lemon Orzo Salad

This easy pasta salad is perfect for any upcoming potlucks, get-togethers, barbecues, parties, special occasions, and of course, wonderful for your dinner table any day of the week.

Lemon Orzo Salad is refreshing and very versatile. You can swap out any of the veggies, seasonings, and herbs, but this is my favorite way to enjoy this salad.

What is Orzo?

• Orzo is a small pasta that is shaped like rice, but is a bit larger. Orzo is made from semolina flour. You can purchase regular and there is also a whole-wheat version.
• You could substitute with risoni, which is sometimes referred to as orzo. They are basically the same.

How To Make Lemon Orzo Salad

Gather all of the ingredients together before starting.

Boil orzo according to package instructions. Drain excess liquid and transfer orzo to a large mixing bowl.

While the orzo is still hot, add feta, olive oil, parmesan, lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, oregano, garlic, black pepper, and salt to the orzo.

Mix until everything is evenly distributed.

Add tomato, cucumber, olives, red onion, and green onion to the bowl and mix together.

Place the salad in the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours.

Serve chilled.

Should Orzo Be Served Hot or Cold?

One of the many amazing things about orzo is that it can be served both hot and cold. Orzo is wonderful in many different kinds of recipes.
It’s perfect to substitute for pasta in pasta salads, hence why it’s so amazing in this Lemon Orzo Salad recipe.
In this recipe, the orzo pasta with all of the rest of the ingredients should be served cold.

Lemon Orzo Salad

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Chilling Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

This orzo salad with lemon is the perfect easy meal. It’s fresh, packed with juicy vegetables and bursting with rich flavor. Make it ahead of time and serve it as a side to grilled meats and other barbecue faves.

Ingredients

1 1-lb package Orzo Pasta
1 cup Feta Cheese
⅓ cup Olive Oil
⅓ cup Parmesan
3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley
1 teaspoon Powdered Oregano
1 Garlic Clove minced
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Diced Tomato
1 cup Diced Cucumber
¾ cup Sliced Olives
¾ cup Diced Red Onion
½ cup Green Onion

Instructions

Boil orzo according to package instructions. Drain excess liquid and transfer orzo to a large mixing bowl.
While the orzo is still hot, add feta, olive oil, parmesan, lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, oregano, garlic, black pepper, and salt to the orzo and mix until everything is evenly distributed.
Add tomato, cucumber, olives, red onion, and green onion to the bowl and mix together.
Place the salad in the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours.
Serve chilled.

Notes

I sometimes find that orzo sticks to the bottom of certain pots and burns a bit when boiling. If this happens to you, it’s okay. Simply allow the orzo to finish cooking as usual. Drain the excess liquid and transfer the orzo to the large mixing bowl without scraping any burnt bits. Then, you may choose to scrape 1

Tablespoon of the charred orzo from the bottom and include that with the rest of the orzo. This is completely optional but I find it gives the orzo salad a nice hint of smoky flavor. Be sure not to overdo it, otherwise the salad will taste burnt. Just a Tablespoon is enough.

To increase flavor, try boiling the orzo in chicken or vegetable broth. Just be sure to use low sodium and adjust the added salt if desired.

This salad is great without any meat, but grilled chicken, salmon, shrimp or lobster would be really lovely here as well.

Minimum chill time is 2 hours, but the flavors really come together overnight. I find it has the best flavor the day after making it. Plan ahead if serving this at a party or gathering.

For presentation, you may choose to reserve a few tablespoons of the feta, parmesan, and vegetables. Set them aside and mix the rest into the orzo salad per the instructions. After plating, sprinkle the portions you’ve set aside on the top of the bowl or plate and garnish with some additional parsley.