From the Kitchen: Mediterranean Orzo Salad
One of my favorite salads ever is this Mediterranean orzo pasta salad, a recipe that was given to me by my good friend, Ashley, at my bridal shower a few years back. Mediterranean flavors have always been some of my favorites. The combination of feta, kalamata olives, capers, and fresh vegetables gives this pasta dish a light and healthy appeal while being absolutely delicious! It has become my go-to for large group and outdoor gatherings. I can’t tell you how many compliments I get when I make this salad, it’s definitely a winner! Thanks Ashley!!! Recipe after the jump. xoxo!
Meditteranean Orzo Salad (adapted from a recipe given to me by my friend, Ashley)
Makes 8 entree servings or about 16 side servings
Ingredients
1 box orzo cooked according to directions
8 large asparagus spears, blanched and cut into 1/2 in. pieces
1/2 cup cherry or plum tomatoes, halved
3 persian or 1 standard cucumber, diced (I like mine peeled but it’s optional)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
1-2 tablespoons capers
1/4 cup crumbled feta
2 tablespoons chopped italian parsley
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup or more italian dressing (I like to mix italian dressing with balsamic vinaigrette)
Directions
Cook orzo, drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Once orzo is completely cool, mix all ingredients in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Voila! This is a great recipe to make ahead because it only gets better the next day after marinating in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
P.S. the original recipe calls for 1 diced avocado but I omit it because I’m allergic.
You’re allergic to avocado? I’m so sad for you! I’m pinning this for summer.
I know. I always hear that from people. Luckily, I don’t like the taste much so it’s not a huge loss for me :) Hope you like the recipe, it’s my absolute favorite.
love this recipe!!! i love the combination of ingredients too!
Thank you! This is truly one of my favorite recipes. It’s so easy to make and even though it fills you up nicely, it’s light and healthy. Thanks for the comment :)
That looks amazing! I’m totally going to try it!
Thank you :)!! Let me know how you like it!
That looks delicious! I definitely want to try making it.
Becca, I hope you do make it, it’s really tasty and so simple, plus you can practically feed an army with one batch!
I see capers in the salad, and you mention them in the piece but I don’t see an amount listed in ingredients. Maybe a TBL or so?
Oh my goodness Wendy! You are so right! I forgot to add the measurements for capers. I think 1-2 tablespoons would be plenty. Thank you for bringing it to my attention, I’ll update today :)