This fresh and vibrant Mediterranean Orzo Salad boasts juicy cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, red bell pepper, fresh herbs, tender orzo pasta, crumbled feta, and a simple lemon dressing. It’s a light and healthy side salad that pairs with almost anything!
Orzo Salad Recipe
Adding pasta and grains is one of my favorite ways to add bulk, flavor, and texture to simple salads. Some delicious examples include couscous in this fresh green salad, penne pasta in this spinach and strawberry pasta salad, and orzo in this Mediterranean orzo salad.
The orzo adds a soft and tender texture, contrasting the crispy and crunchy tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and red onion. This orzo salad is by no means a pasta-heavy salad, thanks to the short-cut orzo, which is often likened to a large rice grain. However, it is surprisingly filling, making it the ideal stand-alone side dish for your main meal.
The lemon olive oil dressing with salt and pepper seasoning is unassuming and subtle in flavor. It perfectly coats the salad ingredients to help the flavors meld together.
Make it your own by including your favorite salad ingredients and alternative garnish, such as nuts, seeds, croutons, and other types of soft crumbled cheese.
What is Orzo?
Orzo is a short-cut pasta that resembles a large grain of rice. Originating in Italy, this little pasta has grown in popularity in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. It’s a great ingredient to add volume to soups, salads, and other hearty main meals, such as this Lemon Chicken Orzo recipe.
Is orzo considered pasta or rice? While orzo looks like large grains of rice, it’s actually a type of short-cut pasta.
Key Ingredients
Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Orzo pasta – While I love orzo pasta in this Mediterranean salad, you could use another type of short-cut pasta, such as ditalini pasta or stelline pastina. If you really want to change things up, try this salad with quinoa, couscous, wild rice, freekeh, or barley.
- Olive oil—For the salad dressing, Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil. Cold-pressed extra virgin avocado oil can be used instead.
- Freshly minced parsley
- Lemon juice – Always use freshly squeezed lemon juice. Bottled lemon juice should only be used in a pinch.
- Freshly minced mint – This is optional, but adds a lovely fresh flavor to the salad in addition to the minced parsley.
- Salt and pepper
- Tomatoes—I use slicer tomatoes, deseeded and diced. Grape or cherry tomatoes sliced in half also work well.
- English cucumber – Seeds removed and diced. You don’t need to peel English cucumbers as the skin is not tough or waxy.
- Diced red onion – Adds delicious sweetness. Green onions are also commonly used in this type of salad.
- Red bell pepper – Feel free to use green, yellow, orange, or a combination of bell peppers. Each color offers a slightly different level of sweetness.
- Feta cheese – Crumbled goat cheese or chunks of fresh mozzarella can be used instead.
How to Make Mediterranean Orzo Salad
Boil the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo pasta and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and allow it to cool completely.
Prepare the dressing: Whisk the olive oil, parsley, mint (optional), lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl.
Add the salad ingredients: Toss in the cucumber, red onion, bell peppers, and tomatoes.
Add feta and orzo: Add in the feta and orzo and toss to fully combine.
Garnish and serve: Garnish the assembled Mediterranean orzo salad with fresh chopped parsley and more feta, if desired. Serve the salad with lemon wedges and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Chill your orzo salad in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before serving, this will allow the flavors to meld together and intensify.
- Transfer the drained and rinsed orzo to a large baking tray lined with parchment paper. This will help the pasta cool faster and also prevent it from sticking together.
- Optional additions include fresh dill, olives, capers, chickpeas, and fresh green onion. Minced garlic can be added to the dressing for extra flavor.
What to Serve with Mediterranean Orzo Salad
This Mediterranean orzo salad is perfect for a light dinner, lunch, or summer potluck. Pair it with Greek meatballs, falafel, lemon chicken thighs, Mediterranean turkey burgers, chicken kabobs, or baked salmon.
Make-Ahead and Storage
- Can I make the dressing ahead of time? Yes. Combine the dressing ingredients and store it in an airtight container or mason jar in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. Give the dressing a good shake or stir before combining it with the fresh salad ingredients.
- Leftovers: Leftover Mediterranean Orzo salad can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container or in the salad bowl, covered with plastic wrap. I recommend storing it for a maximum of 2 days. After that, the ingredients will turn soft and mushy from the excess liquid released.
- Can I freeze leftover Mediterranean salad? No. Like most salad recipes made with fresh vegetables and fruit, this orzo salad won’t hold up well to freezing and thawing.
More Salad Recipes
If you make this Easy Mediterranean Orzo Salad Recipe, please leave me a comment below! I always love to read your thoughts and feedback!
RECIPE CARD
Mediterranean Orzo Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces orzo pasta
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup freshly minced parsley
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon freshly minced mint leaves - optional
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 slicer tomatoes - seeds removed and diced
- 1 English cucumber - seeds removed and diced
- 1 red onion - diced
- 1 red bell pepper - seeds removed and diced
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Salt generously. Cook the orzo 1-2 minutes less than package instructions or until al dente. Drain, and allow the orzo to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the olive oil, parsley, lemon juice, mint, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Next, toss in the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and bell pepper with the lemon and olive oil dressing. Finally, gently toss in the orzo and feta cheese.
- Serve with freshly chopped parsley, extra feta, and lemon wedges for garnish if desired.
Jessica’s Notes
- Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
I made the Mediterranean Orzo salad and love it! I am trying to stick to Mediterranean recipes for their healthy ingredients but often find red wine vinegar as an ingredient. Red wine in any amount or form, as in a glass of wine or as in red wine vinegar, gives my husband a three day migraine headache. Red wine is not in our pantry! Your recipe was perfect!!