Garden Vegetable Orzo Pasta Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
A fresh, easy orzo pasta salad with veggies, feta, and lemon vinaigrette for picnics, potlucks, meal prep, and dinners.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 395kcal
Equipment
- 3-qt or larger saucepan
- large bowl for mixing and/or serving
Ingredients
- 10 oz package of orzo pasta bonus points for healthy 1-ingredient chickpea pasta like this
- 1 large sweet pepper chopped (to equal about 1 cup)
- 1 medium sweet onion chopped
- 1 cup of sliced snap or snow peas
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese or to taste (also good with parmesan, grated sharp cheddar, or other strong cheese)
- lettuce or spinach for serving optional
- chives or parsley for garnish optional
Lemon Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (preferably fresh)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs optional (basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano or a mix like Italian)*
- 1/2 teaspoon honey or maple syrup, optional
Instructions
- Start water (with a tablespoon of salt added) boiling in a 3-quart or larger pot and when boiling add orzo and cook according to package directions just until al dente (still firm to the bite).
- Prepare the vegetables and add them to a large bowl as they are chopped and sliced.
- Make the lemon vinaigrette by adding all the ingredients to a jar or glass measuring cup and whisking well.
- When the orzo is done, drain well and rinse with cold water to cool a bit. Add to the bowl with the vegetables. Pour some of the dressing over and stir until everything is coated.
- Stir in the crumbeled feta and add more dressing as needed to taste.
- Serve as is or layer on top of a bed of lettuce sprinkled with chopped fresh herbs.
Notes
Vegetable Variations: Use whatever you have on hand or is in season. Chopped broccoli and sliced carrots raw, cut asparagus or green beans steamed, shredded cabbage, grated beets - the sky is the limit, really.
Add More Protein: Stir in any cooked protein - chicken, shrimp, beef, pulled pork.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 395kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 421mg | Potassium: 196mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 951IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 6mg
