Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
If you can’t decide between greek salad or pasta salad, here’s your solution: Greek Orzo Pasta Salad!
This fresh and easy Greek pasta salad brings orzo pasta, veggies, olives, and feta together with a Greek vinaigrette, and it’s absolutely divine. One of my fave pasta salad recipes yet!
I love this fresh and easy pasta salad so much. It’s packed with fresh veggies – crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and crunchy red bell peppers. Fresh mint and parsley add bright flavor. Then there’s the full-of-flavor, Greek-salad inspired dressing with oregano and Dijon mustard.
Oh, and can’t forget the Kalamata olives and salty feta. And tender orzo. Basically this salad is a conglomeration of everything I love. Except the word “conglomeration” is not the tastiest-sounding word, but I’m sure you catch my drift.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Greek Orzo Salad
How to Make Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
The Story Behind the Recipe
I’m a huge fan of pasta salad, and especially orzo pasta salad. There’s just something about that rice-sized pasta that works so well in a pasta salad, soaking up the flavors around it, adding amazing texture, yet letting the veggies shine.
In the past, I’ve created an orzo chickpea olive salad, an orzo chickpea cherry tomato salad, and an orzo pasta salad with hazelnuts and cherries.
But I’ve been on a massive Greek salad kick this year, so it was time to combine the classic elements of Greek salad with pasta salad, and here we are: Greek Orzo Pasta Salad.
Why You’ll Love Greek Orzo Salad
Well, for one, this salad tastes amazing! It’s so fresh and lively. It’s one of those refrigerator-friendly salads that you can make ahead of time and enjoy all week long as a side dish or easy lunch salad.
It’s also the perfect potluck or BBQ salad. Be prepared for recipe requests!
Ingredients
Orzo pasta: You’ll want about half a box, or 8 ounces, of orzo.
Cherry tomatoes: Grape tomatoes will work, too. Cut them in half, or, if they’re large, go ahead and quarter them.
English cucumber: I love English cucumbers because you don’t have to peel them and they’re always crisp and full of flavor. If you use a standard cuke, you’ll want to peel it first. Persian cucumbers are great in this, too!
Red bell pepper: xdf
Feta: I love the salty and creamy notes feta adds to the mix. It also doesn’t get more Greek than that!
Kalamata olives: Grab the already-pitted ones to make it easier on yourself.
Parsley & mint: Fresh herbs add so much flavor and pretty color.
For the dressing:
Extra-virgin olive oil
Red wine vinegar: White wine vinegar or champagne vinegar will also work.
Dijon mustard: Adds flavor and emulsifies the dressing.
Garlic: Finely mince it, or use a Microplane zester to get it extra fine.
Oregano, salt, & pepper
Adaptations/Variations
Add 1/2 teaspoon onion powder (shown in the ingredients photo but not strictly necessary) for a boost of flavor.
Vegan option: Omit the feta cheese. This salad is still delicious without it! You might want to add a pinch or two extra of salt, or some extra olives, to compensate for it.
Gluten-free option: Use gluten-free orzo pasta.
Greek pasta salad: You don’t have to use orzo if you can’t find it or don’t want to! Any small or medium pasta shape will do. Small shells or rotini are especially good.
How to Make Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
First, you’ll want to cook the orzo so that it has time to cool.
Next, mix together the vinaigrette. I love the shortcut of mixing the vinaigrette right in the bottom of the salad bowl. Less dishes!
Then, add the veggies, feta, olives, and herbs to the bowl along with the cooled orzo.
From there, toss everything together. You’re done!
Tips for Success
For the flavors to really meld, place your Greek orzo pasta salad in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.
You can make this salad up to 4 days ahead of time. Just store it in an airtight container in the fridge and give it a quick stir to freshen it up before serving. I might sprinkle a few extra fresh herbs on top right before serving too, just to make it look extra pretty.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
Chickpea Orzo Salad with Olives & Capers
Cherry Tomato Chickpea Orzo Salad
Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the salad:
8 ounces orzo pasta about 1 1/3 cups1 cup cherry tomatoes halved1/2 English cucumber chopped; about 1 cup1/2 red bell pepper diced; about 1 cup1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese1/4 cup Kalamata olives sliced2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced2 tablespoons fresh mint minced
For the Greek vinaigrette:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil2 tablespoons red wine vinegar1 teaspoon Dijon mustard1 small garlic clove minced or finely grated1/2 teaspoon dried oregano1/2 teaspoon kosher salt1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Notes
Vegan option:
Omit the feta cheese. This salad is still delicious without it! You might want to add a pinch or two extra of salt, or some extra olives, to compensate for it.
Gluten-free option:
Use gluten-free orzo pasta.
Nutrition
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