Description
This Mediterranean Orzo Salad is a vibrant and refreshing pasta salad featuring tender orzo, crisp baby spinach, colorful bell peppers, cucumber, red onion, and a delightful mix of Castelvetrano and Kalamata olives. It’s tossed with a tangy lemon oregano vinaigrette and topped with crumbled feta cheese, making it a perfect light meal or side dish that’s easy to prepare ahead and enjoy chilled.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta Salad:
- 16 ounces orzo pasta
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves, gently torn into large pieces
- 1 ½ chopped red bell pepper (about one red bell pepper)
- 1 cup cucumber, diced and seeded (about one medium cucumber)
- ¾ cup red onion, diced
- 5 ounces Castelvetrano green olives, drained and halved
- 5 ounces Kalamata olives, pitted, drained and halved
- 7 ounces feta cheese
Dressing:
- ½ cup canola oil
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the Orzo: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for 10 minutes until al dente. Drain the orzo and rinse it under cold water to stop cooking and cool it down. Set aside.
- Combine Salad Ingredients: Transfer the cooled orzo into a large mixing bowl. Add the torn spinach, chopped red bell pepper, diced cucumber, diced red onion, and both kinds of olives. Crumble half of the feta cheese over the mixture and gently toss to combine.
- Prepare the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the canola oil, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, dried oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper until well emulsified.
- Toss Salad with Dressing: Pour the vinaigrette over the orzo and vegetable mixture. Gently fold everything together to coat the pasta and vegetables evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Finish and Chill: Top the salad with the remaining crumbled feta cheese. Cover and refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour or overnight to allow the flavors to meld before serving.
Notes
- Storage: The salad is best enjoyed within 2-3 days but can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- For best flavor, let the salad chill overnight to allow all ingredients to meld.
- You can substitute canola oil with all olive oil for a richer flavor if preferred.
- If you prefer a tangier salad, add more lemon juice to taste.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: Mediterranean orzo salad, orzo pasta salad, spinach orzo salad, feta cheese salad, easy pasta salad, healthy salad recipe, make ahead salad
