A Cool Recipe for Hot Days
Beating the heat in the kitchen
Summer is well underway and it’s hot, hot hot! During the dog days of summer, I try to minimize the use of my stove and oven and prepare lighter meals such as -you guessed it- salads.
That’s why I decided to keep this month’s blog post cool and simple with a recipe for an orzo salad that will transport your tastebuds to the Mediterranean. For those unfamiliar with orzo, also called risoni, it is a small rice-shaped pasta that originated in Italy, but is now also a staple in Greece and the Middle East.
Enjoy this dish for lunch or a light dinner at home, or wow your friends at your next summer potluck. Buon appetito!
Orzo Salad
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 8 mins
Serves 6
This orzo salad recipe is a fresh, delicious side dish or vegetarian lunch or dinner! If you make it ahead of time, save the herbs to add at the last minute. I also recommend tossing the salad with a drizzle of olive oil before serving.
Ingredients
1½ cups orzo pasta
1 recipe Greek Salad Dressing (see recipe below)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 English cucumbers, halved vertically, and sliced ¼-inch thick
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained, and rinsed
4 ounces feta cheese, cut into ¼-inch cubes
⅓ cup thinly sliced red onion
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives
1 cup fresh basil and/or mint leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta according to the package directions, or until slightly past al dente. Drain the orzo and toss it with a little olive oil, so that it doesn’t stick together.Spread onto a baking sheet to cool.
Prepare the Greek Salad Dressing and add in the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, and sea salt.
In a large bowl, toss together the cooked orzo, cucumbers, tomatoes, chickpeas, feta, red onion, and olives. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, add half the herbs, season with freshly ground black pepper, and toss to coat. Garnish with the remaining herbs and serve.
Greek salad dressing recipe
1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tsp red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano, more for sprinkling
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp (sea) salt
Freshly ground black pepper