Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad
- PREP 10min
- COOK 10min
- TOTAL 20min
We love this light orzo pasta salad — it doubles as a side, can be the main event, or works well topped with grilled chicken or Adam’s favorite, shrimp! Use your favorite tender herbs in this — we love using one or a combination of mint, dill, basil, parsley, or cilantro.
You Will Need
1 ½ cups (8 ounces) dried orzo pasta
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 to 4 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice, depending on taste
1 medium English cucumber, diced
1 large tomato, diced or 8 ounces halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh herbs; use any combination of fresh parsley, cilantro, basil, dill or mint
1/2 cup pitted olives, halved
1 cup canned or jarred and drained artichoke hearts, chopped, see notes
Directions
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add orzo and cook until tender, 6 to 10 minutes (check box for actual cook time). Drain.
While the orzo cooks, in a large bowl, whisk the oil, mustard, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the drained orzo to the dressing and mix well.
Stir in the cucumber, tomato, herbs, olives, and artichokes. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and/or pepper as needed. Enjoy warm or cover, then refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- If you cannot find orzo pasta, you may substitute with any small pasta shape, quinoa or couscous.
- Make-Ahead: This salad is delicious when eaten straight away, but you can also make the salad, cover it and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. This way all the flavors marry and mingle, making for an even more delicious salad. If you are planning to make a day or two ahead of time, keep the tomatoes separate until you’re ready to serve. This way they will remain crisp.
- If you use marinated artichokes sold in oil, you can substitute some of the olive oil called for in the recipe above with the oil in the jar.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA Database to calculate approximate values.
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #inspiredtaste — We love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste