Mediterranean Orzo Salad

5 from 1 vote

This was one of the best sellers at my take-out shop. So very easy, it comes together quickly and goes wonderfully with summer menus - or just by itself.

Prep Time45

Total Time45

Course: Side Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Easy Side Salad, Mediterranean Orzo Salad,, Orzo Pasta Salad,

Servings: servings

Calories: 264kcal

Author: Helen S. Fletcher

Ingredients

1 ½ cups orzo pasta
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes, preferably in oil
½ cup feta cheese
⅓ cup diced red onion
⅓ cup diced yellow pepper
⅓ cup diced red pepper
⅓ cup diced green pepper
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped calamata olives
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
½ teaspoon black pepper
¾ teaspoon salt

Instructions

The vegetables should be cut in ¼" dice.
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package or for about 8 to 10 minutes or until just tender. Drain, rinse and set aside to cool.
Combine the chopped veggies, sun dried tomatoes, calamata olives and feta in a large bowl. If the sun dried tomatoes are really dry, soak them in really hot water while the rest of the ingredients are being prepared. Squeeze all of the water out before cutting them and adding them to the salad.
Whisk the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper together and pour over the ingredients in the bowl. Chill for 6 to 8 hours.
This can be served at room temperature or cold.
If the salad seems dry after being refrigerated for a day or two, make the dressing again and pour some or all of it over the salad. Do not drown it. Reserve any leftover dressing in case you need it later.

Notes

There is always an abundance of photos to guide you in the post above. If you have questions, look at the photos or read the header of the article. Many of them will be answered there.

As always, I recommend using a scale for accuracy and consistency. Flour, in particular, is difficult to measure by volume. For my recipes, I use 140 grams per cup of unsifted all-purpose, bread or whole wheat flour and 125 grams of cake flour. Others may use different weights so use whatever they suggest.

Unless otherwise noted, salt refers to table salt.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

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Cut the veggies small so each bite has some of most of them.

Use the freshest produce for the best results.

If the salad sits in the fridge after the first day, the dressing may be absorbed. Just make it again and refresh the salad. Don't drown it. Reserve any remaining dressing in case you keep it longer.

Nutrition