Herby Olive Italian Orzo Salad
Beautiful herby Italian orzo salad filled with crunchy veggies, savory olives, and delicious feta cheese. Everything gets tossed in a light homemade Italian dressing for the perfect warm-weather lunch or dinner that's easy to customize. Bring this fresh Italian orzo salad to your next BBQ!
Servings 6 servings
Calories 359cal
Ingredients
- For the dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For the salad:
- 10 ounces orzo*
- 1 ½ cups halved cherry or grape tomatoes (we love heirloom cherry tomatoes)
- 2 persian cucumbers, sliced and quartered (or 1 cucumber, sliced and quartered)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup pitted chopped or sliced kalamata olives
- ½ cup pitted chopped or sliced green olives
- ⅓ cup sliced pepperoncini
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ½ cup feta crumbles
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- First make the dressing: whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, dijon, oregano and salt and pepper in a small bowl until well combined. You can also add them all to a mason jar, add the lid and then shake until well combined.
- Next cook your pasta until al dente according to the directions on the package. Once done cooking, drain and add to a large bowl.
- Add the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, kalamata olives, green olives, pepperoncinis, red onion, feta, basil and parsley to the bowl with the pasta. Pour dressing over the top and toss together until combined. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
For extra protein, feel free to add grilled chicken, chickpeas or white beans to the salad.
*To make gluten-free: use a gluten-free orzo or your favorite gluten-free pasta!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (based on 6) | Calories: 359cal | Carbohydrates: 41.6g | Protein: 8.9g | Fat: 18.3g | Saturated Fat: 3.8g | Fiber: 3.6g | Sugar: 3.3g