Orzo Pasta Salad Recipe
Orzo pasta salad is full of garden fresh vegetables and herbs ties together with bright, tangy dressing.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 414
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dry orzo pasta just shy of 1 ¼ cups
- ½ English cucumber chopped
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese diced, or bocconcini
- 15 ounces chick peas 1 can, drained and rinsed
- 2 Tablespoons chives or green onion, chopped*
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley chopped*
- 2 Tablespoons fresh basil chopped*
Vinaigrette
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Italian dressing mix or ¼ teaspoon each of salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder or Dijon mustard
- juice of 1 lemon
- zest of ½ lemon
Instructions
- Cook orzo according to directions and set aside to cool.
- In a small bowl, prepare vinaigrette. Add olive oil, red wine vinegar, Italian dressing mix, dry mustard powder, lemon juice, and zest. Whisk until well combined.
- To a large bowl, add orzo, cucumber, grape tomatoes, bell pepper, mozzarella cheese, and chick peas. Toss to combine.
- Add half of vinaigrette and toss, adding more vinaigrette to desired level of dressing. Add chives, parsley, and basil and toss to combine.
Notes
*Any combination of 6 Tablespoons of chives, thyme, rosemary, basil, or parsley would be excellent for this salad.
- Leftovers will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not freeze.
Nutrition
Calories: 414 | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 106mg | Potassium: 480mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1132IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 3mg