Made with orzo pasta, sundried tomatoes, vegetables, and a simple lemon dressing, this orzo pasta salad recipe is filled with all of the flavors of the Mediterranean. This Mediterranean orzo salad recipe is a great make-ahead meal or meal prep idea that you can whip up in under 30 minutes and will create delicious lunches for the entire week to come!
Mediterranean Orzo Salad
Although orzo looks like rice it’s actually a form of pasta, and although pasta has a bad reputation when it comes to eating well, it can certainly be included in a healthy diet in appropriate amounts. It’s important to keep in mind is that, when it comes to carbs, quality always trumps quantity so being mindful of the type you buy is vital. The best way to ensure that you are buying healthy pasta is the same way you do with any food, and that is to simply read the ingredients. Pasta is actually made of very simple ingredients, namely flour, eggs, water, and salt, so look for brands with limited items listed on the label. The best thing about orzo is that it holds up very well once cooked, so you can make it in advance and it will keep for days in the fridge.
I used specific vegetables in this recipe, however, you can truly add just about anything you like; cherry tomatoes, olives, and a little crumbled feta would all work very well. Plus, if you wanted to make this Mediterranean orzo pasta salad gluten-free simply swap the orzo for gluten-free pasta (such as rice or chickpea) or medium-grain white rice and it would work just as well.
More Mediterranean Salad Recipes:
- Make-Ahead Three Bean Salad
- Make-Ahead Lentil Salad
- Summer Bean Salad
- Mediterranean Couscous Salad
- Italian Bow Tie Pasta Salad
Mediterranean Orzo Salad
This Mediterranean orzo pasta salad can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. For additional flavour, feel free to top it with some crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese.
-
Prep Time: 10 minutes -
Cook Time: 10 minutes
-
Total Time: 20 minutes
-
Yield: 4 servings 1x
-
Category: Salads
-
Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Cuisine:Ingredients
- 1 cup orzo, dry
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 red onion, diced
- 2 green onions, diced
- 1/2 cup artichoke hearts, diced
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced
- 1/4 cup parsley, minced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook orzo according to package directions, typically 7-10 minutes. Once cooked, strain and rinse under cold water to cool, and set aside.
- While the orzo is cooking, prepare the vegetables and dressing. Chop the bell pepper, red onion, spring onions, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes and parsley into a dice.
- In a small bowl or jar, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, sea salt and black pepper. Set aside.
- Once the orzo has cooled, add orzo and vegetables to a large salad bowl and cover with dressing. Toss well to combine and ensure that the salad is well coated with the dressing.
- Season with additional salt and pepper to taste as needed.
- The salad can be serve immediately or stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 285 calories
- Sugar: 8 grams
- Fat: 15 grams
- Carbohydrates: 31 grams
- Fiber: 6 grams
- Protein: 6 grams
You’re a nutritionist, so I’d love to make this dish. Thank you! Would you please let me know where to find the nutritional values for this recipe? I did look.
Thanks, Heather, it is certainly a favourite! I don’t share the nutritional values of my recipes on purpose, rather I simply focus on ensuring they are made of whole food. You are can actually read about why here: https://kaynutrition.com/2017/05/is-calorie-counting-necessary/ and https://kaynutrition.com/2018/10/why-a-calorie-is-not-a-calorie/
Thanks!
Steph
Are the artichoke hearts fresh? I’ve never cooked with artichokes .. they intimidate me lol
Canned or jarred artichokes! No need to make them from scratch, you can use the prepared ones, they are much less intimidating 🙂
Loved this recipe I did tweak it a little bit since I can’t have onions or garlic ? I put cooked fresh green beans and squash. Loved the dressing also.
How big is a serving size?
1/4 of the recipe.
This is a good basic recipe but to me, lacking a bit in flavor and “oomph”. I added more herbs and also marinated mozzarella balls.
Thank you for sharing!