This orzo salad recipe is perfect for summer picnics and cookouts! Feta cheese, olives, and a zingy Greek dressing fill it with bold flavor.
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
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.
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 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.
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:
- Best Veggie Burger
- Easy Black Bean Burger
- BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches
- Portobello Mushroom Burger
- Chickpea Salad Sandwich
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.
More Favorite Pasta Salad Recipes
If you love this orzo salad recipe, try one of these fresh pasta salads next:
- Easy Pasta Salad
- Cherry Tomato Couscous Salad
- Vegan Pasta Salad
- Broccoli Pasta Salad
- Easy Macaroni Salad
- Or any of these 51 Best Salad Recipes!
Orzo Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ cups dry orzo pasta
- 1 recipe Greek Salad Dressing
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 Persian cucumbers, halved vertically, and sliced ¼-inch thick
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained, and rinsed
- 4 ounces feta cheese, cut into ¼-inch cubes
- â…“ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives
- 1 cup fresh basil and/or mint leaves
- Freshly ground black pepper
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.
YUM! Made as directed Forgot how much orzo expanded so I’ll share with a neighbor. As I had a ton of parsley, I added some more and gave the salad an extra squeeze of lemon.
Good summer side dish for kabobs or Mediterranean main dish. This would pair nicely with garlic potatoes.
Hi Linda, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
This is so yummy. Everyone has loved it.
Just make sure you don’t skip the basil and mint and definitely use both. Your tongue will thank you.
Hi Vicki, I’m so glad you love the salad!
Hi, How many calories are in this?
I put the veggies in a large bowl and used the hot pasta to blanch the veggies. Then I used the cold dressing i put in the fridge to stop the blanching process. Once cold enough, I added in the cheese and mint.
yummy yummy get in my mouth
Excellent recipe! I added a smidgen more lemon juice and red wine vinegar to the dressing. I also cooled the orzo for an hour in the fridge before adding all the ingredients. I love this because now I can make my own instead of buying it premade, thank you!
Hi Rachel, I’m glad you loved it!
Thank you for this Orzo Recipe, it looks fantastic! I’m making this for Thanksgiving this year!
My absolute go to orzo salad that I make all the time for lunch!! Keeps well and takes incredible, thank you for this luscious recipe! 🙂
I’m so glad it’s been such a hit!
love a great orzo salad!
ty
This is my go-to recipe for orzo and bowtie pasta salad. Thank you!
I’m so glad it’s been a favorite!
In the directions it seems to me unclear whether the wine and oil are simply for the dressing or should be added to the orzo as well. Please can you clarify.
Hi Alex, ignore my previous comment, I didn’t see your entire question. The 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice are in addition to the vinegar that’s in the dressing. Hope that helps!
Hi,
it would be fantastic if you added a slider for servings on your site.
I have your cookbooks, follow your blog, and subscribe to your newsletter.
we are a family of 2 – it would be excellent and such a help to have an auto adjust to your recipes so we can scale down servings from 6 to 2 – and when we have company, scale up to 4-6.
If you can make that happen ….. You’ll be a blogSTAR.
Thanks for reading this.
Best to you & your family.
Ronda
Thanks for the suggestion, we’ll look into it!
is there olive oil in this recipe please reply
Hi Diane, yes it’s in the dressing recipe if you click the “Greek Salad Dressing” link.
Really delicious, thank you. Simple and fresh. I like it best served chilled the day after – yum.
Hi Angela, so glad you love the salad!
I made it once and I loved it so now I’m making it again for my daughter’s bridal shower. Thank you for this simple yet beautiful salad.
Hi Katherine, I’m so glad you loved the salad!
I just made it tonight. It was really really good. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This is a perfect accompaniment to smoked tri-tip or grilled steak/fish. I made it for a large family gathering and everyone loved it. Keeps well for leftovers the next day, too!
I’m so glad it was a hit!
Hi! I have a question. There is already salt and oregano in the dressing recipe, but are we adding extra on top of what is already in the dressing recipe? Thank you!
Hi Carly, yes, it’s additional. This dressing on a typical Greek salad is great as-is, but the orzo salad all together just needs a bit more seasoning.
Is this ok to make ahead? By how many days?
Super yummy for lunch. I added albacore tuna and subbed in wedged sweet campari tomatoes and parmesan. Was delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This was seriously delicious. My husband said it was the best salad I’ve made in a while, and I make some really good stuff. Was looking to shake up our normal hiking lunch food, so I loved how well it held up in our hiking packs. Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Elena, I’m so glad it was a hit!
Yum! You made this vegetarian quite happy with this recipe, thank you so much! I didn’t have basil or mint so used parsley which worked really well but I look forward to trying it again with basil or mint. Love your recipes!!!
I’m so glad you loved this one!