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About This Recipe
Nothing screams summer more than pasta salad and this Mediterranean Chickpea and Orzo Salad is definitely on the top of my list.
This summer orzo pasta salad is refreshing and absolutely bursting with bold flavors. The fresh veggies combine perfectly with the creamy feta cheese and salty olives to make this the perfect dish for any summer barbecue.
Or if you want to enjoy this greek orzo salad for meal prep or an easy weeknight dinner, you can add your favorite protein like some gyro chicken or Greek turkey burgers. Of course you have to toss some tzatziki sauce on there for extra creaminess and flavor!
What’s even better? This healthy summer orzo salad is ready in just 30 minutes. It’s perfect to prep the night before (for the best flavor) and requires minimal effort. You can also easily double or triple the recipe if feeding a large crowd.
Why You’ll Love This Mediterranean Orzo Salad
- Bursting with vibrant mediterranean flavors!
- Seriously the perfect side dish for your next potluck or summer cookout.
- Also great for meal prep or to pair with your favorite protein for a healthy weeknight dinner.
- Refreshing and filling. The orzo, beans and feta cheese make this salad filling while the fresh veggies add a refreshing crunch!
- Packed with healthy, wholesome ingredients!
- A great recipe to prep in advance. In fact it’s better if you do 😉
- Orzo – you can use regular, whole wheat or chickpea orzo (for extra protein). Also feel free to substitute for any regular short pasta noodle if you have that one hand!
- Chickpeas – can also sub for garbanzo beans, cannellini beans or white beans of choice
- Fresh vegetables – I used cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onion. Cherry or grape tomatoes will hold up longer than regular tomatoes, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
- Olives – I used kalamata olives
- Feta cheese – I highly recommend using the block of feta cheese (versus the pre-crumbled kind) as I think it has the best taste and texture! If you don’t like feta you can use another hard cheese (cubed cheddar would be great).
- Fresh parsley – or fresh basil, cilantro or dill, really any fresh herbs you have on hand. You could use dried but fresh herbs give this dish the best flavor!
- Extra virgin olive oil – make sure it’s extra virgin and not “light olive oil”
- Red wine vinegar -this is most authentic to Greek flavor but in a pinch you can sub for white wine vinegar.
- Maple syrup – this helps balance out all the other tangy, bold flavors of this dish! We’ll just use a little bit, but honey or any sweetener of choice would also work.
- Dijon mustard – not necessary but I do think the dijon brings a slight delicious tang this really brings this dish together.
- Seasonings: garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper
There are lots of awesome additions you can add to this pasta salad based on your preferences:
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Red bell pepper
- Artichoke hearts
- Chopped spinach
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add orzo and cook according to the package to al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water, then set aside.
2. Add all the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until combined.
3. To a large bowl, add all salad ingredients.
4. Pour dressing over the top, then toss until everything is evenly combined. Garnish with additional feta and chopped fresh herbs if desired and serve!
Helpful Tips
- Salt your pasta water! Salting the pasta water will boost the flavor of the orzo itself.
- Don’t overcook the orzo. Cook into al dente! The orzo is the star of this dish and we want it firm and NOT mushy. I like to cook it for 1 minute less than the lowest recommended cooking time on the package directions. Then I strain the orzo immediately and rinse with cool water to stop the pasta from cooking more.
- Let pasta salad sit (if time allows). The flavors of this orzo salad come together the longer this pasta salad sits so I prefer to make it a few hours before serving and allow it to chill so the flavors really have time to come together.
- Use block feta cheese if possible, versus the pre-crumbled kind. Crumbled works too, but the block feta is typically better quality since it hasn’t been coated with extra stuff to prevent clumping.
What is orzo?
Orzo looks like a large grain rice but is actually a type of pasta. You can use regular, whole wheat or chickpea orzo. I like to cook my orzo al dente so it doesn’t get mushy in this pasta salad recipe.
Why is my orzo mushy?
Overcooking is the likely culprit if your orzo is mushy. In order to help avoid this, wait to add the orzo until your water is boiling. Then start your timer and cook for the lowest recommend time on the package directions. After, immediately rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
How to prevent orzo from sticking together?
If you wait too long after draining the water to mix the orzo in with the rest of the ingredients, the orzo can clump together while drying. To prevent this, toss the orzo with 1 tsp olive oil immediately after draining. Or, go ahead and make the dressing and toss with orzo in a large bowl before you add everything else!
Can this orzo pasta salad be made in advance?
For sure! The longer this orzo salad sits the more the flavors come together so I actually prefer to make it at least a few hours before serving or the day before if I can.
How long does greek orzo pasta salad last?
If stored in an airtight container this orzo pasta salad will stay good for up to a week.
What should I serve with this mediterranean chickpea and orzo pasta salad?
I mean honestly? It goes with just about anything. It goes so good with chicken, beef, fish, turkey, you name it. We make this orzo salad frequently to pair chicken gyros, Greek turkey burgers or any type of grilled chicken.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Mediterranean Chickpea and Orzo Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1.25 cup uncooked orzo (250g)
- 15.5 oz. can chickpeas drained
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes (275g) halved
- 1 cup cucumber (180g) chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup sliced kalamata olives (60g)
- 1/2 cup feta (56g) crumbled
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
Dressing
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (45g)
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar (45g)
- 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup (15g)
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp garlic powder & Italian seasoning each
- 1/2 tsp salt + 1/4 tsp pepper
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Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add orzo and cook according to the package to al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water, then set aside.
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until combined.
- To a large bowl, add all salad ingredients. Pour dressing over the top, then toss until everything is evenly combined. Garnish with additional feta and chopped fresh herbs if desired and serve!
Notes
Helpful Tips
- Salt your pasta water. Salting the pasta water will boost the flavor of the orzo itself.
- Don’t overcook the orzo. Cook into al dente! Really this is the most important step. The orzo is the star of this dish and we want it firm, NOT mushy. To help prevent overcooking, cook orzo for 1 minute less than the lowest recommended cooking time on the package directions. Then strain the orzo immediately and rinse with cool water to stop the pasta from cooking more.
- Let pasta salad sit (if time allows). The flavors of this orzo salad come together the longer this pasta salad sits so I prefer to make it a few hours before serving and allow it to chill so the flavors really have time to come together.
- Use block feta cheese if possible (versus the pre-crumbled kind). Crumbled works too, but the block feta is typically better quality since it hasn’t been coated with extra stuff to prevent clumping.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
