Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad With Feta
This Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad With Feta is great for sharing at summer potlucks, and even better as a side dish for weeknight dinners. You get chewy orzo, feta, fresh veggies, and a red wine vinaigrette to tie it all together.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups uncooked orzo
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion I use a mandolin to thinly slice the red onion, then roughly chop the red onion into smaller pieces.
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half (quartered if they're on the larger side)
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley, more for garnish
- 1 cup Kalamata olives, cut in half
- 1 cup crumbled feta
- 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds *See notes
Red Wine Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 small garlic clove, grated I use a microplane to grate it. If you don't have one, finely mince it.
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp raw honey
- 1/2 tsp dried or fresh thyme
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- Cracked black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the orzo in a small pot of salted water as per the package directions. When done, drain and rinse under cool water, and set aside.*For extra flavor, cook the orzo in chicken or vegetable broth instead of salted water.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, grated garlic, Dijon mustard, honey, thyme, sea salt, and pepper. While whisking, slowly pour in the olive oil to create a stable emulsion.*If you have a small blender, like a Magic Bullet, you could put all of the vinaigrette ingredients into it and blend until smooth.
- Transfer the cooked orzo to a large mixing bowl, then add the toasted almonds, chopped veggies, feta, and chopped parsley. Drizzle half of the dressing over it to start, then give it a good toss. Taste, stir in more dressing if necessary, and serve.Optional: Before serving, add the zest of one lemon and a squeeze of juice from half a lemon.
Notes
How to toast almonds: Heat a small dry pan (no oil or butter) on the stove over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, reduce the heat to low and add the almonds. Shake the pan every once in a while to prevent burning. You'll know the almonds are ready when they start to turn a golden hue and smell toasty. Watch the pan carefully, because once they warm up, they will burn quickly.
