Orzo Salad

This orzo salad recipe is perfect for summer picnics and cookouts! Feta cheese, olives, and a zingy Greek dressing fill it with bold flavor.

Orzo salad

If you need a last-minute side dish for a cookout or picnic this weekend, make this orzo salad recipe! It’s fresh and flavorful, easy to put together, and, like any good picnic salad, perfect for making ahead. Toss it together a few hours to a day before a summer gathering, and it’ll still taste great when you’re ready to eat.

But even if you’re not planning a cookout this weekend (or if your menu’s all set to go), stash this orzo salad recipe in your back pocket anyway. Because it keeps so well, it’s a great recipe to pack for lunch. Crispy cucumbers and juicy tomatoes play off briny olives and salty, tangy feta cheese. The orzo pasta and chickpeas make it nice and filling, and a zingy Greek dressing ties it all together. De-licious.

Orzo salad recipe ingredients

Orzo Salad Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this orzo pasta salad recipe:

  • Orzo, of course! I love the way this tiny pasta shape mixes and mingles with the other ingredients.
  • Cherry tomatoes – For sweet, juicy pops of flavor.
  • Persian cucumbers – They add a cool, refreshing crunch.
  • Red onion – Slice these guys as thinly as you can. I recommend using a mandoline if you have one!
  • Kalamata olives – Their salty, briny flavor contrasts with the fresh herbs, cucumbers, and tomatoes.
  • Feta cheese – Skip the pre-crumbled feta for this recipe. Instead, look for feta that comes in a block, preferably in brine. Its flavor and texture are SO much better. You’ll never get the crumbled kind again!
  • Chickpeas – I love garbanzo beans with Mediterranean ingredients like feta and olives, so I couldn’t resist tossing them into this orzo salad. They make it more substantial too.
  • Greek salad dressing – In this orzo salad, I make the dressing extra-bright by whisking in an additional tablespoon of red wine vinegar and a big squeeze of lemon juice.
  • Fresh mint and/or basil – Pick just one, or use a mix.
  • And sea salt and fresh black pepper – To make all the flavors pop!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Hand pouring Greek dressing over bowl of pasta, olives, feta, and veggies

Cook the orzo, and dice up the veggies, feta, and olives while it cools.

Then, whisk up the dressing and toss it all together. Making this orzo salad recipe is as simple as that!

Orzo salad recipe ingredients in a large bowl

Orzo Salad Recipe Tips

  • Cook the pasta a little past al dente. Whenever I make a pasta salad, I cook the pasta just past al dente, so that it stays tender after it cools.
  • And let it cool before you add the veggies. If you toss the hot orzo with the tomatoes, cucumber, and onion, they’ll begin to wilt. Instead, drain the cooked orzo, dress it with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking, and spread it in an even layer on a large baking sheet to cool. When it reaches room temperature, proceed with the recipe.
  • Make it ahead. You can make this orzo salad recipe up to a day in advance, but save the herbs to add at the last minute. If they sit in the dressing for too long, they’ll wilt, so it’s best to toss them in right before you eat. The salad may also dry out a bit in the fridge. If you think it needs more moisture, loosen it with a drizzle of olive oil before serving.

Hands tossing bowl of orzo pasta salad with wooden spoons

Orzo Salad Serving Suggestions

This orzo salad recipe is a perfect side dish for summer picnics and cookouts. Pair it with other cookout sides like grilled corn on the cob or grilled veggies, broccoli salad, potato salad, and/or coleslaw. If you need a main dish, try making one of these recipes:

If you have any leftovers, save them for lunch the next day. Thanks to the orzo, chickpeas, feta, and olives, the salad makes a light, yet satisfying, meal on its own.

Orzo salad recipe

More Favorite Pasta Salad Recipes

If you love this orzo salad recipe, try one of these fresh pasta salads next:

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Orzo Salad

rate this recipe:
4.98 from 220 votes
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Serves 6
This orzo salad recipe is a fresh, delicious side dish or vegetarian lunch! If you make it ahead of time, save the herbs to add at the last minute. I also recommend tossing the salad with a drizzle of olive oil before serving.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta according to the package directions, or until slightly past al dente. Drain the orzo and toss it with a little olive oil, so that it doesn’t stick together. Spread onto a baking sheet to cool.
  • Prepare the Greek Salad Dressing and add in the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, and sea salt.
  • In a large bowl, toss together the cooked orzo, cucumbers, tomatoes, chickpeas, feta, red onion, and olives. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, add half the herbs, season with freshly ground black pepper, and toss to coat. Garnish with the remaining herbs and serve.

197 comments

4.98 from 220 votes (124 ratings without comment)

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Carly
    05.14.2023

    If I use bottled Greek dressing, how much would I use for this recipe?

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      05.19.2023

      Hi Carly, you will need about 1/2 cup.

  2. James
    04.16.2023

    5 stars
    Perfect salad to accompany greek meals.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      04.20.2023

      So glad you enjoyed it!

  3. janice Stanesic
    03.20.2023

    The Rainbow Orzo Salad (under 37 best salads) doesn’t go correctly to the recipe. It goes to one without the mango.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.23.2023

      Hi Janice, good catch! We updated that recipe recently and missed it in the round up post.

  4. Stacey
    03.12.2023

    5 stars
    Fantastic. I didn’t have ozro so I used quinoa instead (cooked in my instant pot using vegetable broth) and topped it with chicken seasoned with Greek seasoning.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.15.2023

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  5. patrizia
    02.24.2023

    can i use dill instead of basil or mint?

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      02.24.2023

      Yep, you can!

  6. Georgia
    02.16.2023

    5 stars
    Great recipe that I make time and time again. I toast pistachios as well to top.

  7. Nancy
    01.15.2023

    5 stars
    Love this salad. I did use bottled hreek dressing. So good

  8. Noelle
    12.13.2022

    This is SOOOOOOO delicious…. My kids and I devoured it. ?

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      12.16.2022

      So glad you loved it!

  9. Kaytie
    12.04.2022

    How long does this last in the fridge?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      12.06.2022

      Hi Kaytie, about 3-4 days.

  10. Ciara
    11.16.2022

    If this makes 6 servings, how much would be in 1 serving? I followed the measurements.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      11.18.2022

      Hi Ciara, We estimate that this recipe would serve six as a light main or hearty side, but we don’t have an exact measurement for a serving size.

  11. Florentina
    09.23.2022

    I don’t have the red wine vinegar in the house. Can I substitute with balsamic vinegar?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.25.2022

      Hi Florentina, I would use white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice instead if you have one of those ingredients. I think balsamic could work too, it’s just a stronger, sweeter flavor.

  12. Li
    09.03.2022

    5 stars
    perfect side dish to a steak!

  13. Ctusamom
    08.21.2022

    5 stars
    Delicious! Used only mint. People liked the dressing!

  14. Cara
    07.10.2022

    5 stars
    Made this for a bbq picnic and it was a big hit! Great flavors. Thanks so much!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.12.2022

      I’m so glad it was a hit!

  15. B Milano
    07.05.2022

    5 stars
    Made it and we devoured it before taking a photo. Then made it for another family, they LOVED it. Whoops forgot to take a photo again. So, besides being unanimously determined as delicious, it is quite a pretty and colorful dish. Thank you!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.07.2022

      I’m so glad it’s been such a hit!

  16. Ron J Mang
    06.17.2022

    so you add in the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, and sea salt and then also put the Dressing in the salad?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.18.2022

      yes, that’s additional, sorry for the confusion, I’ll write that out more clearly.

  17. Tami TUttle
    06.15.2022

    can i make this a day ahead?

  18. Rita
    06.04.2022

    5 stars
    I made this as a side for a birthday party and it was a hit. Light and refreshing for summer months. Even my husband, who never eats cucumbers, enjoyed it!! Added green pepper and used parsley as the fresh herb. Will definitely make this again. Thanks for sharing.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.06.2022

      I’m so glad it was such a hit!

  19. Lauren W
    06.04.2022

    5 stars
    I made this as a side to lemon pepper grilled chicken and it was perfect! I only used mint (no basil) and found that to be very refreshing. The whole family enjoyed it. I will definitely be making again.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.06.2022

      I’m so glad everyone loved it!

  20. Kristin
    03.20.2022

    5 stars
    This is so yummy!! Thank you! We just got an air fryer so I cooked the canned chickpeas in the air fryer before tossing them in the salad and love the crunch!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.21.2022

      I’m so glad you loved it!

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.