Description
Mediterranean Orzo Salad is a vibrant and nutritious dish that brings the flavors of the Mediterranean right to your table. This easy-to-make salad features tender orzo pasta combined with fresh vegetables, briny olives, and creamy feta cheese, making it a perfect choice for picnics, potlucks, or as a hearty meal at home. Packed with vitamins and healthy fats, this salad not only looks stunning but also satisfies your taste buds while being incredibly versatile. Serve it as a main dish, side salad, or meal prep option for the week ahead — it’s sure to impress everyone with its delightful flavors!
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 ounces orzo
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves
- 1 ½ cups chopped red bell pepper
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- ¾ cup diced red onion
- 5 ounces Castelvetrano green olives
- 5 ounces Kalamata olives
- 7 ounces feta cheese
- ½ cup canola oil
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 ½ teaspoons oregano
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the orzo in salted boiling water for about 10 minutes until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled orzo with spinach, red bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, both types of olives, and half of the feta cheese.
- In a small bowl, whisk together canola oil, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt, and pepper to create the vinaigrette.
- Pour the vinaigrette over the salad mixture and gently fold until evenly coated. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving to enhance flavors.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Mixed
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 20mg