Here's a quick Orzo Pasta Salad with a homemade, light, yogurt vinaigrette dressing. This orzo salad is very refreshing and healthy. The yogurt dressing is a great replacement for cheese that's often used on salad recipes.
I love using Orzo in many recipes from salad, side dish to soups. Orzo can be served alone and still taste so good! This orzo pasta salad recipe is using simple ingredients. I reduced the amount of calories and fat by eliminating feta cheese. I used greek yogurt for this dressing recipe to add an extra protein for my diet. If you need a boost in Vitamin E (for a sunburn or just glowing skin in general) this salad provides a healthy dose of it.
This orzo pasta salad recipe is also perfect for picnic or pot luck. You can make this orzo salad in a big batch and fridge it overnight with or without salad dressing. This is the perfect summer salad recipe, very light and refreshing. If you have Gluten Intolerance, don't worry as you can find many Orzo products that are Gluten Free or Wheat Free at local grocery markets or online, such as Amazon.com.
In this orzo pasta salad recipe I also added some black olives. To reduce the amount of sodium of black olives, I washed and quickly dried the olives. I hope you enjoy this orzo recipe, I plan on bring you more in the wintertime! Orzo has a unique texture that looks closer to rice than other forms of pasta. I love how the oil, vinegar, lemon juice and tomatoes bring a juiciness that matches so well with this orzo, and I think the yogurt dressing puts it over the edge and amongst my favorite salads. The basil, nectarine, almonds and pumpkin all bring unique flavors that make it even more memorable.
📖 Recipe
Quick Orzo Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked Orzo, see packaging for directions on cooking the Orzo
- 1 cup fresh tomatoes
- ½ cup fresh chopped basil
- ½ cup fresh nectarine
- 1 cup fresh mixed greens (arugula, spinach, red lettuce)
- 1 tablespoon sliced almonds
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
- 2 tablespoons black olives, wash and drain
- For Yogurt Vinaigrette Salad Dressing:
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ to 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 tablespoon yogurt
- 1 teaspoon honey, or more according to your liking
- ½ teaspoon salt
- a pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Whisk together all dressing ingredients. Add more salt, honey and pepper if desired.
- Place cooked orzo, tomatoes, chopped basil, nectarine, mixed greens, sliced almonds, pumpkin seeds and black olives in a serving bowl.
- Pour in the yogurt vinaegratte dressing and stir until well combined.
- Serve immediately or fridge until ready to use.
jmanandmillerbug says
I have been looking for something like this, I love orzo but I get sick of it just a plain old way. I may make this for dinner tonight.
nutrizonia says
The salad looks fresh and vibrant , lovely shots
Deann Sarmiento says
OMG this salad looks really delicious! Thank you for sharing such recipe. Would really love to try this out.
Liz Mays says
I really want to make this. It sounds so flavorful! I need to start using orzo in more recipes. I like it a lot!
Brandy says
What an easy enough salad to make, I Love pasta ... must make this some time for sure. Would love to try a new pasta salad idea 😉
Gwendolyn Mulholland says
I like orzo but have never had it in a salad. I like that it adds some more substance to the salad thus making it more of a complete meal.
Olivia Douglass says
This looks so delicious and easy to make! Beautiful pictures!!! Thanks for the recipe!
Rebecca Swenor says
This looks like a great quick orzo pasta salad. I would love to try making this but without the dressing and vinegar. Thanks for sharing he recipe.
Robin Rue says
I am in love with orzo pasta. So many possibilities that you can do with it. This looks delicious!
Michele d says
Your salad looks mighty tasty. Would love to try this recipe. Looks delicious!