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This Greek orzo pasta salad combines fresh tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, tangy kalamata olives, red onions, and creamy feta cheese with a homemade lemon vinaigrette. If you’re a fan of Mediterranean-style orzo salads, you’re going to love this recipe!
This Greek orzo salad is perfect for summer! The ingredients are fresh and flavorful, and the lemon vinaigrette dressing is light and refreshing. This salad is perfect for potlucks, barbecues, or any other summer gathering. Give it a try today!
why you’ll love this Mediterranean orzo salad
- Fresh. If I had to use only one word to describe this orzo salad, it would be fresh. The tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions are all crisp and full of flavor.
- Flavorful. In addition to the fresh vegetables, this orzo salad also features kalamata olives, feta cheese, and a homemade lemon vinaigrette dressing.
- Easy to make. This salad comes together quickly and easily. It’s the perfect recipe for busy weeknights or last-minute entertaining.
- Versatile. This salad can be served as a main dish or a side dish. It’s also great for meal prep!
Ingredients to make greek orzo salad with feta
You’re likely to have most of these ingredients on hand, so don’t be intimidated by the list below.
For the Salad
- Orzo: Many people think of orzo as a rice, but it’s actually a type of pasta. It’s small and round, and it has a chewy texture. It makes for great cold pasta salads!
- Tomatoes: I like to use grape tomatoes in this salad because they’re sweet and full of flavor. You could also use diced tomatoes or cherry tomatoes.
- Cucumbers: Persian cucumbers are my favorite for this salad, but you can also use English cucumbers.
- Red onions: Red onions add a nice crunch and a bit of sweetness to the salad.
- Kalamata olives: Kalamata olives are a must in any Greek-style salad! They’re salty and full of flavor.
- Feta cheese: Feta cheese is a key ingredient in this salad. It’s creamy and tangy, and it pairs perfectly with the other ingredients.
- Fresh Dill: Fresh dill is a crucial ingredient in this salad. It’s often used in Mediterranean and Greek cuisine, and it has a unique flavor that really makes this salad special.
For the DRESSING
- Lemon: Fresh lemon juice is preferred for this salad, but you could also use bottled lemon juice.
- Shallot: A shallot is a small, onion-like vegetable. It has a milder flavor than a regular onion, and it pairs well with lemon.
- Dijon mustard: Dijon mustard adds a bit of tanginess to the dressing and creates a different flavor profile from the lemon.
- Olive oil: I like to use extra-virgin olive oil in this salad, but you could also use regular olive oil.
- Spices: Dried oregano, salt, and pepper is all you need to season this salad.
How to make this greek orzo pasta salad
- In the bottom of a large bowl, mix shallot, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and oregano.
- Slowly stream in olive oil, whisking constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add the cooled orzo, tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, olives, red onions, and dill to the large bowl with the shallot dressing.
- Toss to coat and serve immediately.
Tips for making Mediterranean orzo salad
- Chop everything small. Because the orzo pasta cut is so small, I love chopping the vegetables finely so that each bite has a great mix of all the flavors and textures.
- Make it ahead of time. This salad is actually even better when made ahead of time! The flavors have a chance to meld together, and the salad gets even more flavorful. Serve cold or at room temperature. This salad can be served immediately, but I prefer to let it chill in the fridge for an hour or so before serving.
- Re-season before serving. I always taste the salad before serving and add additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed.
- Don’t overcook the orzo. The orzo should be cooked al dente, which means it should be chewy and not mushy. Overcooked orzo will yield a mushy salad.
popular substitutions & additions
- Top with fresh herbs. I love topping this salad with some freshly chopped parsley or dill before serving. It adds a nice pop of color and flavor.
- Add grilled chicken or shrimp. If you’re looking to turn this into a main dish, you could add some grilled chicken or shrimp.
- Add other vegetables. If you have other vegetables that need to be used up, feel free to add them to the salad. Some good options include bell peppers, carrots, and celery.
- Skip the feta cheese. If you’re looking for a dairy-free or vegan option, you could omit the feta cheese or replace it with vegan cheese.
what to serve/pair with your Orzo Salad
how to store orzo pasta salad
Store any leftover salad in the fridge. I recommend storing it in a glass container with a lid. When you’re ready to eat it, give it a good stir and add additional lemon juice, salt, and pepper as needed.
how long will orzo salad last in the fridge?
This salad will last in the fridge for up to four days. I find that it’s best eaten within the first two days, but it will still be good on day four. After that, the vegetables will start to get mushy and the flavors will start to fade.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! You can use any small pasta in this salad. Some other good options include couscous, quinoa, or even rice.
Yes, this salad is gluten-free as long as you use gluten-free orzo. There are a few brands that make gluten-free orzo, and it can usually be found in the gluten-free section of your grocery store.
There are a few reasons why your orzo salad might be watery. One possible reason is that you didn’t drain the pasta properly. Be sure to give the cooked pasta a chance to drain after rinsing it in cold water. Another possible reason is that the veggies wept too much. Keep the salad cold until ready to serve, and immediately after, return to the fridge to avoid excessive weeping.
So there you have it! A delicious and easy Greek orzo salad that’s perfect for summertime. I hope you’ll give this recipe a try, and let me know what you think. As always, thanks so much for reading!
More summer salad recipes:
- Southwest Quinoa Salad
- Smoked Salmon Salad
- Watermelon Feta Salad
- Zucchini Salad
- Chickpea Couscous Salad
- Avocado Filled Quinoa Salad
- Fried Chicken Parmesan Salad
- White Bean Salad
- Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
If you try this feel good Greek Orzo Salad recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
Greek Orzo Salad
Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dry orzo
- 1 cup grape tomatoes quartered
- 2 persian cucumbers quartered
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ cup kalamata olives sliced
- ¼ cup red onions diced
- ¼ cup fresh dill chopped
Dressing
- 1 small shallot minced
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook orzo until al dente. Drain and run cool water over it until it’s cooled.
- Make the dressing. In the bottom of a large bowl, mix shallot, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and oregano. Slowly stream in olive oil, whisking constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Add the cooled orzo, tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, olives, red onions, and dill to the large bowl with the shallot dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Omgggggoodness I luuuv this salad. It’s tangy, and crunchy and tart. I just finished putting it together, and I’m already stuffing my face!! You are the best Yumna! ♥️
Yay, that makes me so happy!! Thanks for sharing!
This is fantastic, so flavorful and goes with any protein. Thank you!!
You’re so welcome!
I m allergic to tomatoes. Can I just add red bell peppers or other veggies?
Yes, of course!
love all your recipes … never had orzo before so am going to try this. Please keep posting such different foods … this has been a wonderful adventure. thanks.
Thank you so much! I can’t wait for you to give it a try. You got it!!
Such a delish summery salad. Light and full of flavors. I inhaled it in 5 minutes. Thank you, Yumna!! #sogood 😋
Thank you so much!! It’s definitely hard not to devour it in seconds!
I doubled the red onion and feta, used half an English cucumber, and instead of dill I used lots of parsley. I didn’t have a shallot but I figure that I didn’t miss it because of the extra onion. I’m making it again tomorrow but with blue cheese instead of feta, so I have to change a few things: castelvetrano olives instead of kalamata, parsley instead of dill, no oregano, and perhaps toasted walnuts.
So glad you made it work and enjoyed! There are so many delicious ways to enjoy this orzo salad.
Delish. I did reduced the olive oil, other than that, it was very good.
That’s perfect!
Love it!!! Super easy to put together! Tastes light and refreshing! Keep those great recipes coming! I’m a total fan!!!
That makes me so happy to hear! Yay!
Love love love this Greek Orzo pasta salad!!!!! I was a little hesitant about the onion and shallot as my other half is a little hesitant about much onion. But this was fantastic. Making it for a big potluck so I doubled the recipe and I’m guessing it won’t last long!
Thanks!
Thank you so much! Glad you decided to give it a go and enjoyed it.