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    Home » Pasta

    Mediterranean Orzo Salad

    Aug 14, 2008 · Modified: Jun 19, 2021 by Andrea · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads ·

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    Mediterranean Orzo Salad - Andrea Meyers

    Simplicity has been our theme this summer. I went back to work in June and realized that I wasn't superwoman. Oh, I knew it way before then, but adding big deadlines to my juggling pile made me think less about what I wanted to do and more about what I could realistically do, and the first thing on my list was to make our meals easier and faster to prepare.

    We're still cooking from scratch; no take out, no pizza delivery guy ringing our doorbell, we're just making our weekday meals less complicated. Not that I was serving cordon bleu before, but now we are even more mindful of our menu and time required to prepare food. The season is in our favor, with so many fresh fruits and vegetables available it's easy to pull together a quick meal. Our tomatoes are ripening beautifully, and we gathered some of the fresh grape tomatoes and parsley and basil from the garden and added all of it to the bowl.

    Grape tomatoes from our garden - Andrea Meyers

    Grow Your OwnI chose this pasta salad from Stonewall Kitchen Favorites because the beautiful colors jumped out me and the flavors seemed just right. This recipe makes enough for a crowd. I cut it in half and noted it could still comfortably feed four people as a light meal.

    This is my contribution to Grow Your Own, hosted by Jessica of Finny Knits. Visit the Grow Your Own information page to learn more about the event, and visit Jessica's post with information on this round. Entries are due tomorrow August 15.

    Mediterranean Orzo Salad - Andrea Meyers
    Print Pin

    Mediterranean Orzo Salad

    Adapted from Stonewall Kitchen Favorites, by Jonathan King, Jim Stott, and Kathy Gunst.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time20 mins
    Total Time40 mins
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: Mediterranean
    Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
    Keyword: olives, pasta, tomatoes, vegetarian
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 354kcal

    Equipment

    • large pot with a lid
    • fine mesh strainer
    • large mixing bowl
    • small bowl

    Ingredients

    • 16 ounces orzo (or other small pasta)
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • ⅓ cup red wine vinegar (+ 1 tablespoon)
    • 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
    • ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
    • 2 cups Kalamata olives (chopped)
    • 2 pints grape tomatoes (halved lengthwise)
    • 1 large red onion (finely chopped)
    • ½ cup drained capers (optional)
    • ½ cup lightly packed chopped fresh parsley leaves
    • freshly ground black pepper
    • pinch sea salt
    US Customary - Metric

    Preparation

    • Bring about 3 quarts of water to boil in the large pot. Add salt and the orzo and cook until al dente. Drain well in the mesh strainer, then pour hot orzo into the mixing bowl.
    • While the orzo cooks, stir together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in the small bowl. Pour the mixture over the hot orzo and toss. Allow it to sit for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
    • Add the olives, grape tomatoes, onion, capers, and parsley, and stir well. Season with fresh ground pepper and a pinch of sea salt. Serve warm, cold, or at room temperature.

    Variations

    • Mix Kalamata with green and black olives.
      Double the lemon zest and juice.
      Add ¼ cup freshly chopped basil leaves or fresh oregano.
      Add ¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
      Add 1 cup chopped seedless cucumbers or red bell pepper.
      Add 1 cup crumbled feta cheese.
      Substitute a different cooked grain for the orzo, such as Israeli couscous, barley, or quinoa.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 354kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 841mg | Potassium: 470mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1449IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Share in the comments!

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    More Pasta Salads from Other Food Blogs

    • The Kitchen Sink - Grilled Vegetable Orzo Sala
    « Grilled Stuffed Eggplant
    Central New York Regional Market (Syracuse, New York) »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. JeanAnnVK says

      August 14, 2008 at 7:30 pm

      Hi there, Andrea...your photos are magnificent! Did you post on the the food fest on Away to Garden and Dinner tonight? Tomato fest 2008...wish mine were ripe!

      JeanAnnVKs last blog post..Recipes for Green Tomatoes and Hushpuppies

    2. Andrea says

      August 14, 2008 at 10:10 pm

      Thanks JeanAnn! Yes, I sent in a pasta with roasted grape tomatoes that we really enjoy, and DT actually featured it! I was very excited!

    3. Natashya says

      August 15, 2008 at 9:21 am

      Sorry to hear that you are not superwoman, very disappoining indeed!
      I too, left my tattered cape somewhere and cannot find it. Oh well.
      Your pasta looks like a great summer dinner. I would make this type of thing as much as possible at this time of year. Tomato season is quick but lovely.

    4. Kalyn says

      August 15, 2008 at 1:27 pm

      That looks like a wonderful dinner. I really love any dish that has pasta and fresh tomatoes.

      I keep missing the deadline for Grow Your Own and I have good intentions of entering. I am absolutely going to do it for the August 16-September 15 round; will watch to see who's hosting.

    5. Andrea says

      August 16, 2008 at 9:45 pm

      Natashya, I'm still trying to give up on the idea that need to do it all. Hard for a Type A personality, but I'm working on it! 🙂
      Kalyn, thanks! I hope you can join us!

    6. Kristen says

      August 18, 2008 at 1:15 am

      Simplicity is the way to go. I hope you can continue the simple life throughout the year 🙂
      This salad looks delicious!

    7. JD says

      April 06, 2016 at 1:39 pm

      I have been using your recipe since 2012. I halve it, use 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar in place of the red wine vinegar, add in the cucumber and peppers as you suggest, and find this a very delightful mix. This remains one of our favorite pasta salads. Thanks for posting it.

    Trackbacks

    1. Whole Wheat Greek Orzo Salad — Pinch My Salt says:
      May 17, 2010 at 2:45 pm

      [...] Mediterranean Orzo Salad from Andrea’s Recipes [...]

    2. Welcome to Denver « My Half-Gap Year says:
      June 29, 2010 at 7:44 pm

      [...] you, Jaren!), I’ve experimented only slightly. Last week, I modified a version found on a blog and it was fabulous! Soaking the orzo in the olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice enhances the [...]

    3. Orzo Salad Recipe | Orzo Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing | Two Peas & Their Pod says:
      August 24, 2011 at 2:02 am

      [...] Mediterranean Orzo Salad from Andrea’s Recipes Cherry Tomato Orzo Salad with Simply Recipes Orzo Super Salad  from 101 Cookbooks  Lemon Orzo Salad with Asparagus, Spinach, and Feta from Two Peas and Their Pod Posted In Beans/Legumes, Pasta, Salads, Vegetarian 0 Comments / Leave a Comment »   Related Posts [...]

    4. Things, Life, Whatnot… says:
      June 12, 2012 at 4:48 pm

      [...] are a few winners I’ve made lately: Mediterranean Orzo Salad –  There are tons of great additions and modifications for this recipe and they are all [...]

    5. Tuesday Tidbits – 201 says:
      June 20, 2017 at 1:37 pm

      […] post where I shared a beautiful summer salad I made for a Father’s Day BBQ. Here is the recipe. A couple of modifications: I didn’t use olives and I added cucumbers, red bell pepper and […]

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