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.
Jaime Nicole says
This salad looks so fresh! This would be the perfect lunch for a hot summer day.
Rika says
Absolutely. So light but very filling too!
Alli Rutherford Smith says
I happen to love orzo and I have some in the pantry. Your salad looks delicious and I love all the fresh ingredients. I'm saving your recipe and I'm looking forward to making this.
Rika says
I love cooking with Orzo 🙂 especially on soup and salad
Mimi Green says
This looks really good and I love vinaigrette dressing. I've never had orzo, let alone cook with it. Maybe I need to step up my eating game.
Making Our Life Matter says
I have never has orzo, but I love vinaigrette dressing. This is something I will definitely look into making sometime in the future.
Rika says
I love Vinaigrette dressing too.. so easy to make, simple and light
littlemisscant says
I have only had orzo a handful of times but I have never thought to put it in a salad before. This dish looks like it would be really filling too which is perfect for nights when you really only want something light to eat. Pinning this !
Rika says
Yes... so quick to make, simple dish, light dressing and very filling 🙂
Bart & Eena says
As a lover of veggie salad, I may say that this really looks soooooo delicious! We will try to make this one soon. 🙂
Dee says
Now, this is a wonderful looking Salad, I love the freshness of the salad and I like that you can pair it with any veggie.
lisa says
This looks so good! I really need to try this recipe soon! I love trying new dishes.
dana vento says
There's nothing like a good orzo pasta salad especially on all the holidays, it just makes the parties all the more festive. Great recipe creation.
franckxethee says
This one looks easy and fast to prepare and would make a great meal. It's also really healthy.