Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad

Name: Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 16 ounce box orzo pasta, cooked; 1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered; 1 large red onion, diced; 1 large green bell pepper, diced; 1 medium cucumber, cut into bite-sized pieces; 1/3 pound greek olives, halved or quartered; 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled; lemon herb salad dressing (https://emilyfabulous.com/lemon-herb-salad-dressing/)

by Emily | emilyfabulous.com

8 servings

20 min

A bright, fresh, and delicious Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad that makes the perfect side dish or light meal. This dish is packed with fresh vegetables, orzo pasta, and topped off with a homemade lemon-herb dressing for the perfect Greek-inspired salad.

The part of this recipe that took me a while to figure out was the dressing that pulls the whole thing together. I finally found a delicious combination of herbs, fresh lemon juice, and extra-virgin olive oil that not only works perfectly in this dish but is also just a great salad dressing to have in your arsenal. Check out my Lemon Herb Salad Dressing or find the link in the recipe card.

Note: you will need a little extra time to chill this salad before enjoying it!

Greek Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad

Fresh veggies in a lemon orzo pasta salad with feta cheese.

Greek-inspired Lemon Herb Salad Dressing

Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad

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Recipe details

Yield 8 servings
Time spent: Prep time: 10 Minutes Cook time: 10 Minutes Total time: 20 min

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Ingredients

1 16 ounce box orzo pasta, cooked
1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 large red onion, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1 medium cucumber, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/3 pound greek olives, halved or quartered
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
lemon herb salad dressing (https://emilyfabulous.com/lemon-herb-salad-dressing/)

Instructions

Cook the orzo pasta according to the box instructions. Give the pasta a quick rinse with cold water and set it aside to continue to cool while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
Prepare the cherry tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, cucumber, and greek olives. Depending on the size of the tomatoes and olives, you can cut them in half or quarter them. You want everything to be similar in size and small enough to be able to get all of the goodies in one bite.
If you haven't made or bought the dressing yet, make the lemon herb salad dressing.
In a large bowl, add the cooked pasta and all of the prepared vegetables. Pour in ¼ cup of the dressing and stir to combine. Continue to add the dressing to taste.
Pour in the crumbled feta cheese and stir to combine. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour. Overnight is best to allow all of the flavors to blend together.

Tips

Store any leftovers covered in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Although I highly recommend making your own dressing, you can use store-bought dressing and save yourself a step. And if you don’t want the lemon flavor, you can use red wine or balsamic vinegar. Add to taste in place of the lemon juice.
If you don’t have or like greek olives, you can use black olives.
Cherry tomatoes work so well in this salad because they are nice and sweet and the perfect size for slicing. But, you can also use any tomato and still have a delicious salad.
Orzo pasta works well in this dish because of its size. The small pasta makes it possible to get more of the other flavors in each bite. However, you can also make this with other types of pasta like bowtie or elbow to name a few.

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Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad

Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad

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Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad

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