Lemony Orzo Salad
Lemony orzo salad is a light pasta salad loaded with vegetables and chickpeas dressed in a light lemony dressing. This tasty lemony orzo salad recipe is a great side salad, or an entree salad. Add tofu feta cheese for a summery dinner.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 426kcal
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Uncooked Orzo Pasta or gluten-free orzo pasta
- 15 ounces Chickpeas rinsed and drained
- ½ English Cucumber diced
- ½ Red Onion diced
- 1 cup Grape Tomatoes cut in halves
- 3 Tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 3 Tablespoons fresh basil chopped
- 3 Tablespoons fresh mint chopped
Lemony Dressing
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large lemon zested and juiced
- 5 Tablespoons Tahini
- ¼ cup champagne vinegar
- ½ cup water
Tofu Feta Cheese (Optional)
- 1 recipe Tofu Feta Cheese
Garnish
- Fresh lemon slices
Instructions
Cooking the Orzo
- Bring 6 cups of water and 3 Tablespoons salt (yes, 3 Tablespoons; don't worry, you rinse it off) to a boil.
- Add 12 ounces of orzo pasta and stir.
- Once boiling again, reduce heat to low and simmer for 8 minutes.
- Then, transfer the pasta to a colander and rinse with cold water, moving the pasta around to ensure all the pasta is cooled to room temperature and the salt is removed.
- Shake any excess water out and place cooled pasta into a large bowl.
- While the pasta cooks, chop the vegetables and blend the dressing.
Lemon Dressing
- Place all the ingredients in a high-speed blender.
- Tip: Add the tahini last, so it doesn't stick in the bottom of the blender cup.
- Blend until smooth
Tofu Feta Cheese
- Crumble the tofu feta cheese and allow to cool before adding to the lemony orzo salad
Assembling the Salad
- Add the chickpeas, chopped vegetables, and herbs to the orzo pasta.
- Pour the dressing over the contents of the bowl.
- Stir and cover.
- Place them in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Add crumbled tofu (optional).
- Serve with a lemon slice as garnish.
Notes
- Adding salt to pasta water gives each noodle a chance to absorb some salty taste as it cooks, enhancing the final dish's flavor.
- Ensure the water is boiling before adding the orzo, stir to combine, and reduce the heat to simmer.
- Orzo takes 8 minutes to cook al dente, so set a timer. Overcooked pasta is soggy and mushy, and no one likes soggy pasta.
- Running cold water over cooked pasta in a colander stops the pasta from cooking and cools it quickly for a quick and easy cold pasta salad.
- Make the dressing first and refrigerate while the pasta cooks, allowing it to chill.
- Allow this lemony orzo pasta recipe to be served cold; it can also be served warm.
- For variety, consider roasting the vegetables instead of adding them to the salad raw.
- Dress the salad beforehand and allow the flavors to develop in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 426kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 21mg | Potassium: 564mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 592IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 4mg