A bright, fresh, and delicious Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad that makes the perfect side dish or light meal. This dish is packed with fresh vegetables, orzo pasta, and topped off with a homemade lemon-herb dressing for the perfect Greek-inspired salad.

When I was working in retail one of my go-to meals was a Greek pasta salad at the mall. I knew once I left that job I would have to try and recreate the salad at home, and I finally nailed it. I love to make this salad in the summer when I have fresh vegetables from my garden, but it's also easy to make any time of year with basic ingredients.
The part of this recipe that took me a while to figure out was the dressing that pulls the whole thing together. I finally found a delicious combination of herbs, fresh lemon juice, and extra-virgin olive oil that not only works perfectly in this dish but is also just a great salad dressing to have in your arsenal. Check out my Lemon Herb Salad Dressing or find the link in the recipe card.
Ingredients Needed to Make Lemon Orzo Salad
Below is a photo of the salad ingredients as well as the Lemon Herb Salad Dressing ingredients. You really only need a handful of ingredients to make this orzo salad.
- cherry tomatoes
- red onion
- green bell pepper
- cucumber
- greek olives
- boxed orzo pasta
- feta cheese
- freshly squeezed lemon juice
- dried oregano
- garlic clove
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- extra-virgin olive oil
How to Make This Greek Lemon Orzo Salad Recipe
- Cook the orzo pasta according to the box instructions. Give the pasta a quick rinse with cold water and set it aside.
- Clean and cut the cherry tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, cucumber, and greek olives.
- If you haven't made or bought the dressing yet, make the lemon herb salad dressing.
- In a large bowl, add the cooked pasta and all of the prepared vegetables. Pour in ¼ cup of the dressing and stir to combine. Continue to add the dressing to taste.
- Pour in the crumbled feta cheese and stir to combine. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour. Overnight is best to allow all of the flavors to blend together.
Substitutions and Variations to this Lemony Greek Pasta Salad
- Although I highly recommend making your own dressing, you can use store-bought dressing and save yourself a step. And if you don't want the lemon flavor, you can use red wine or balsamic vinegar. Add to taste in place of the lemon juice.
- If you don't have or like greek olives, you can use black olives.
- Cherry tomatoes work so well in this salad because they are nice and sweet and the perfect size for slicing. But, you can also use any tomato and still have a delicious salad.
- Orzo pasta works well in this dish because of its size. The small pasta makes it possible to get more of the other flavors in each bite. However, you can also make this with other types of pasta like bowtie or elbow to name a few.
Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad
Equipment
- 1 large bowl
- plastic wrap or cover for the bowl
Ingredients
- 1 16 ounce box orzo pasta, cooked
- 1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 1 large red onion, diced
- 1 large green bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium cucumber, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ⅓ pound greek olives, halved or quartered
- 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- lemon herb salad dressing
Instructions
- Cook the orzo pasta according to the box instructions. Give the pasta a quick rinse with cold water and set it aside to continue to cool while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
- Prepare the cherry tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, cucumber, and greek olives. Depending on the size of the tomatoes and olives, you can cut them in half or quarter them. You want everything to be similar in size and small enough to be able to get all of the goodies in one bite.
- If you haven't made or bought the dressing yet, make the lemon herb salad dressing.
- In a large bowl, add the cooked pasta and all of the prepared vegetables. Pour in ¼ cup of the dressing and stir to combine. Continue to add the dressing to taste.
- Pour in the crumbled feta cheese and stir to combine. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour. Overnight is best to allow all of the flavors to blend together.
Notes
- Store any leftovers covered in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Although I highly recommend making your own dressing, you can use store-bought dressing and save yourself a step. And if you don't want the lemon flavor, you can use red wine or balsamic vinegar. Add to taste in place of the lemon juice.
- If you don't have or like greek olives, you can use black olives.
- Cherry tomatoes work so well in this salad because they are nice and sweet and the perfect size for slicing. But, you can also use any tomato and still have a delicious salad.
- Orzo pasta works well in this dish because of its size. The small pasta makes it possible to get more of the other flavors in each bite. However, you can also make this with other types of pasta like bowtie or elbow to name a few.
Nutrition
Any nutrition calculations are only estimates using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Did You Make this Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad
If you get a chance to make this Greek Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment below. You can also tag me on Instagram. or Facebook.
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Grace says
Made this tonight. So good! I omitted the olives (not a fan), and added some homemade pesto. Thanks so much!!
Emily says
Grace, that sounds delicious, adding pesto is so smart! Thanks for trying the recipe and letting me know how it turned out!
Rosalind Davis says
Very easy and delicious also l added Broccoli it's my favorite salad thank you
Emily says
Oooh, love the addition of broccoli, great idea!
Rosalind Davis says
Very easy and delicious
Emily says
Thanks, Rosalind, I'm glad you liked it!
Bianca says
This orzo pasta salad was the perfect addition to our BBQ today. Will definitely be making this again
Emily says
So glad to hear it, it's perfect for BBQ's!
Dave says
Beautiful and easy recipe for summer !
Katie says
This recipe is absolutely fantastic! Will be making again for sure.
Emily says
Thanks for trying it out!
Gina Abernathy says
The best dish of the summer is a big pasta salad! All of those veggies and delicious dressing in my mouth in one bite!
Emily says
I totally agree! Love those summer veggies!
Jeannie says
love a pasta salad, making them in advance and enjoy as my meal
Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady says
Oh wow, I need to make this at work! I bet the clients would love this option for a quick cold lunch on a hot day!
Shelby says
Loved the refreshing but light flavor on this! Such a great summer meal.
Emily says
Thanks, Shelby!
Crystal says
This is the perfect light lunch for summertime. And that lemon herb dressing is fantastic!
Emily says
Thanks, Crystal. I put that herb dressing on so many things. Thanks for trying it.
Michelle says
I made this with vegan feta (there are several brands now) and it was amazing!!
Emily says
So smart, thanks for sharing, Michelle.
Sue says
I'm going to a cookout this weekend and this salad will be going with me! It's a new favorite!
Emily says
I hope it's the hit of the party.😎
Judith says
Such a delicious salad! A wonderful combination of flavours 🙂
Brianna May says
Love this!
Sabrina says
My favourite flavours all together. Love that lemon 🙂
Emily says
Perfect! Thanks for checking this one out.
Elizabeth says
So delicious! We loved it!
nancy says
such a lovely and refreshing meal! i can eat this all week long!
Emily says
That's exactly it! You can eat this one for several meals! Thanks, Nancy.
Stine Mari says
This is so fresh and so comforting at the same time - brilliant!
Emily says
Thank you!!🥰
Natalie says
That was delicious. Perfect lunch!
Emily says
Awesome to hear!
Shilpa says
Love this refreshing pasta salad. It was perfect for our lunch.
Emily says
So glad to hear it. Thanks for the review!
Giangi Townsend says
Super easy and super delicious! Thank you for all the tips. My family love it
Emily says
So happy to hear it. Thanks for the review!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
Love all the ingredients, can’t wait to try this! It looks so delicious and easy!
Emily says
I hope you love it!
Kyleigh says
This orzo salad was so easy to make! Such a great lunch meal!
Emily says
It's a go-to lunch for me too! Thanks for trying it.
Angela says
Love this light and refreshing salad. The lemon herb dressing is wonderful.
Emily says
I'm glad you liked it. The lemon herb dressing is good on so many dishes.
Jessica says
This is my kind of salad! I love how bright and fresh it is.
Emily says
Thanks, Jessica. Enjoy!
Claudia Lamascolo says
I just love easy side dishes like this one and everyone loved it!
Emily says
Thanks, Claudia. I'm glad it was a hit!
Suja md says
One of my favorites! These looks absolutely great! can't wait to try!
Natalie says
Beautiful salad. Flavours are great and I love how easy this recipe is. I'm going to make this for sure. Thanks!
Emily says
Natalie, I hope you love it. Thanks for checking it out!
Audrey says
This is a wonderful side dish for so many meals!!
Angela says
What a delicious recipe! Such a great idea to use orzo in your pasta salad. The flavors were spot on perfection!
Emily says
Thank you, Angela!
rebecca says
I love all these flavors in orzo salad! the tangy lemon and feta are such refreshing flavors in this salad
Emily says
I agree! I love that combo too. Thanks for the review 😊
Christina's Bread Bakes says
Very refreshing with the lemon dressing, definitely will make again.
Emily says
Awesome, thanks Christina.😁
Kayla DiMaggio says
This orzo pasta salad was so delicious! I loved how easy it was! It makes the perfect lunch!
Emily says
Easy and delicious is the name of the game. Thanks for giving it a try!
Beth Sachs says
I love using orzo and this Greek-inspired pasta salad sounds delicious!
Emily says
Thanks, Beth!