This lemon orzo pasta salad is loaded with candy peas, feta, cherry tomatoes, pink onion, and peppery arugula tossed in a brilliant lemon-Dijon dressing. It’s nice barely heat or chilled, which makes it a simple, 15-minute aspect dish for weeknight dinners, cookouts, and summer season gatherings.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad
This lemon orzo pasta salad recipe comes collectively with just a few easy components, however a few small strategies are what actually set it aside. If you’ve made my fashionable lemon orzo salad with garlic butter shrimp, consider this as its recent, veggie-packed cousin! It begins with the identical lemony orzo base however swaps the shrimp and dill for candy peas, peppery arugula, creamy feta, and a brilliant lemon-Dijon dressing.
The orzo cooks in rooster broth as a substitute of water for additional taste, then will get tossed with the dressing whereas it’s nonetheless heat so it soaks up all that lemony goodness. I really like making this for cookouts as a result of it holds up properly on the desk, but it surely’s simply nearly as good packed up for lunch the subsequent day.
Jordan
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Olive oil: Creates the bottom of the dressing and helps coat the orzo.
- Dijon mustard: Adds tang and helps the dressing emulsify.
- Lemon juice: Gives the salad its brilliant, recent taste. If you’re keen on lemon (like me!), you’ll additionally love this comforting lemon orzo rooster soup if you’re craving one thing cozy.
- Champagne vinegar: Optional, but it surely provides a refined acidity that performs rather well with the lemon.
- Honey: Balances the tartness of the lemon within the dressing.
- Salt: Enhances the entire flavors within the salad.
- Black pepper: Adds a little bit heat and distinction.
- Chicken broth: Infuses the orzo with taste whereas it cooks.
- Orzo: A small pasta form that soaks up the dressing completely.
- Peas: Adds a pop of sweetness and coloration.
- Crumbled feta cheese: Brings a creamy, salty taste to each chunk.
- Cherry tomatoes: Add freshness and juicy texture. If you might have additional summer season tomatoes to make use of up, my tomato panzanella salad is one other nice approach to showcase them!
- Red onion: Provides crunch and a little bit sharpness.
- Baby arugula: Adds a peppery chunk and wilts down just a bit into the nice and cozy pasta.
Recipe Variations
- Use vegetable broth as a substitute of rooster broth in case you’d wish to make this recipe vegetarian; or use bone broth for additional protein.
- If you’re a lemon lover like me, stir in a little bit recent lemon zest proper earlier than serving. It provides one other layer of citrus with out making the dressing extra acidic.
- Try including crispy proscuitto in case you take pleasure in a salty crunch!
- If you’re keen on orzo salads, do that creamy goat cheese orzo pasta salad subsequent.
How to Make Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad
- Step 1: In a small bowl, whisk collectively the olive oil, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, champagne vinegar (if utilizing), honey, salt, and pepper till easy and emulsified. Set apart.
- Step 2: In a medium saucepan, carry the rooster broth to a boil. Add the orzo and cook dinner, stirring often for 8-10 minutes, till al dente. In the final 2 minutes of cooking, add the frozen peas. There shouldn’t be any extra liquid to empty, but when there’s, pour the orzo right into a nice mesh strainer to empty.
- Step 3: While the orzo continues to be barely heat, switch it to a big mixing bowl and pour the dressing over prime. Toss properly so the orzo absorbs all the flavour.
- Step 4: Add the crumbled feta, cherry tomatoes, diced pink onion, and child arugula. Toss every part collectively till evenly mixed, and the arugula is simply frivolously wilted. Taste and alter with an additional squeeze of lemon juice or pinch of salt if wanted. Serve barely heat or chilled.
Expert Tips
- Toss the dressing with the nice and cozy orzo as a substitute of ready for it to chill. Warm pasta soaks up taste approach higher than chilly pasta.
- Cook the orzo simply till al dente. It will proceed softening barely because it sits.
- If you’re making this forward, save a little bit lemon juice for serving. Chilled pasta dulls the flavour a bit, and a fast squeeze of lemon wakes every part again up.
- For the most effective texture, add the arugula shortly earlier than serving if getting ready the salad a day prematurely.
- If the salad feels dry after being within the fridge, stir in a small drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice earlier than serving.
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
- Store leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days.
- Honestly, I believe it tastes even higher after just a few hours within the fridge as a result of the dressing has extra time to soak into the orzo.
- If you’re making it forward for a gathering, refrigerate it and toss with a squeeze of recent lemon juice earlier than serving to refresh the flavors.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! This lemon orzo pasta salad recipe is scrumptious barely heat, at room temperature, or chilled straight from the fridge.
Yes! In reality, it’s one in every of my favourite make-ahead pasta salads as a result of the flavors have time to meld collectively within the fridge. For one other recent, make-ahead choice that’s simple to prep, attempt my Mediterranean gluten-free pasta salad.
Cook it simply till al dente and stir sometimes whereas it cooks. Because orzo is small, it will probably overcook rapidly.
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Easy Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad
This lemon orzo pasta salad is loaded with candy peas, feta, cherry tomatoes, pink onion, and peppery arugula tossed in a brilliant lemon-Dijon dressing. It’s nice barely heat or chilled, which makes it a simple, 15-minute aspect dish for weeknight dinners, cookouts, and summer season gatherings.
Save this Recipe!
Save this Recipe!Enter your e mail and I’ll ship it on to you.
Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad Dressing
In a small bowl, whisk collectively the olive oil, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, champagne vinegar (if utilizing), honey, salt, and pepper till easy and emulsified. Set apart.
3 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tbsp Dijon, 1-2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp champagne vinegar if in case you have it, 1/2 tbsp honey, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper
In a medium saucepan, carry the rooster broth to a boil. Add the orzo and cook dinner, stirring often for 8-10 minutes, till al dente. In the final 2 minutes of cooking, add the frozen peas. There shouldn’t be any extra liquid to empty, but when there’s, pour the orzo right into a nice mesh strainer to empty.
2.5 cups rooster broth, 2 cups orzo, 1 cup peas
While the orzo continues to be barely heat, switch it to a big mixing bowl and pour the dressing over prime. Toss properly so the orzo absorbs all the flavour.
Add the crumbled feta, cherry tomatoes, diced pink onion, and child arugula. Toss every part collectively till evenly mixed and the arugula is simply frivolously wilted.
8 oz crumbled feta cheese, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1/4 cup diced pink onion, 2 cups child arugula
Taste and alter with an additional squeeze of lemon juice or pinch of salt if wanted.
Serve barely heat or chilled.
- Toss the dressing with the nice and cozy orzo as a substitute of ready for it to chill. Warm pasta soaks up taste approach higher than chilly pasta.
- Cook the orzo simply till al dente. It will proceed softening barely because it sits.
- If you’re making this forward, save a little bit lemon juice for serving. Chilled pasta dulls the flavour a bit, and a fast squeeze of lemon wakes every part again up.
- For the most effective texture, add the arugula shortly earlier than serving if getting ready the salad a day prematurely.
- If the salad feels dry after being within the fridge, stir in a small drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice earlier than serving.
- Store leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days.
- If you’re making it forward for a gathering, refrigerate it and toss with a squeeze of recent lemon juice earlier than serving to refresh the flavors.
Calories: 583kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 1371mg | Potassium: 460mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 941IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 335mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition info is approximate and was calculated utilizing a recipe vitamin label generator.
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