Summer Orzo Pasta Salad Recipe - A Cedar Spoon (2024)

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Summer Orzo Pasta Salad is a great addition to any summer get together! This summer salad recipe mixes together orzo pasta, chickpeas, feta cheese, crisp summer vegetables, fresh herbs and is topped with a light vinaigrette. Your guests are sure to love this one!

Summer Orzo Pasta Salad

When summer approaches, you need a delicious, easy pasta salad that doesn’t take a lot to cook.

This summer orzo pasta is the perfect meal salad to serve at a dinner party, bbq gathering, and more.

Warm weather means lots of salads, especially pasta salads.

I find pasta salads, like this Summer Orzo Pasta Salad really easy to make and always a huge hit with guests.

When it comes to summer entertaining I know I like to make things as easy as possible with as little work to do as possible when my guests arrive.

ThisSummer Orzo Pasta Salad is easy to put together the day before or the morning of your party, leaving you with more time to enjoy your guests and the nice weather.

If I am not entertaining, I still like to make mypastasalads on Sundays when we grill out and then I eat the leftovers during the week for lunch.

They make the perfect quick and easy leftovers that pairs nicely with grilled chicken or salmon for extra protein.

This pasta salad recipe mixes orzo pasta {try whole wheat pasta for a healthier option}, crumbled feta cheese, chickpeas, crisp summer vegetables, fresh herbs and is mixed with a red wine vinaigrette.

Orzo is one of my favorite things to add to side dishes and salads.

If you agree you should give this4 Ingredient Cheesy Orzoor thisGreek Orzo Pasta Salada try too. I also love addingchickpeas to mysaladsfor extra protein.

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN THIS PASTA SALAD?

VEGETABLES: This salad uses fresh vegetables including tomatoes, cucumbers and red onion.

Feel free to add whatever fresh vegetables you have in your fridge. I love bell peppers, zucchini, carrots and celery if I have them.

FRESH HERBS: The fresh herbs are one of my favorite additions to this salad. I use fresh basil, mint and parsley, but feel free to use whatever herbs you like.

CHICKPEAS: One can of chickpeas add a nice texture and protein to this salad. Other ideas would be white beans or kidney beans.

CHEESE: I love the feta cheese in this orzo pasta salad but you can also use goat, sharp cheddar or whatever you like.

THE DRESSING: Homemade salad dressings take the salad to the next level. Feel free to dress this salad with your favorite dressing.

HOW TO MAKE THIS ORZO PASTA SALAD?

If you don’t want a huge batch then just cut the recipe in half. Also, for the salad dressing the recipe will make about half of a quart size mason jar of dressing.

You will want this much if you plan to have leftovers or if you plan to make the salad ahead of time.

This salad really just involves chopping and prepping your ingredients, mixing it all together and adding the dressing.

It is that easy!

I suggest when you make the salad, you add 1/4 cup of the dressing and then when you are ready to serve the salad, you add another 1/4 cup of dressing or more if you think it needs it.

The red wine vinaigrette is a very versatile dressing so it never hurts to have a extra on hand for other salads throughout the week.

I like to serve this salad in a large serving bowl like this one.

If you like this Summer Orzo Pasta Salad Recipe you have to check out there other summer salad recipes:

Asian Ramen Noodle Salad

Mixed Berry Caprese Salad

Pizza Pasta Salad

Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Summer Orzo Pasta Salad is a great addition to any summer get together! This salad mixes together orzo pasta, chickpeas, feta cheese, crisp summer vegetables, fresh herbs and is topped with a light vinaigrette. Your guests are sure to love this one!

Ingredients

For the salad::

• 8 ounces orzo pasta {try whole wheat for a healthier version}, cooked according to package
• 1/2 english cucumber, diced
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 - 15-ounce can garbanzo beans {chickpeas}, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 small red onion, chopped {about 2/3 cup}
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

For the Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing::

• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 lemons, juiced
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Cook the orzo according to the package. Let cool completely or run under cold water until cooled.
2. In large mixing bowl combine the cucumber, feta cheese, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, red onion and gently stir to combine.
3. In a mason jar or salad dressing container whisk together the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, pepper and extra virgin oil.
4. Add the orzo pasta to the vegetables and mix well. Pour half of the dressing over the salad and toss. Sprinkle the basil, mint and parsley over the salad and gently toss.
5. If serving immediately add more dressing if you feel like the salad needs it. Otherwise refrigerate the remaining half of the dressing and the salad. When ready to serve add the remaining dressing and toss.

Notes

I always start with half of the dressing and see how the salad tastes. You can always add more dressing as needed.

Feel free to mix up the vegetables or add additional ones like bell peppers and zucchini. I have also added grilled chicken to this salad which works well and have subbed white beans for the chickpeas and liked that too.