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, and orzo pasta, and topped off with a homemade lemon-herb dressing for the perfect Greek-inspired salad.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
You'll love this Orzo Lemon Pasta Salad for its vibrant and refreshing flavors, combining the zesty tang of lemon with the delightful texture of orzo. The medley of fresh vegetables and aromatic herbs adds a burst of color and a satisfying crunch, making it a perfect side dish or light meal for any occasion just like my Crunchy Kale Parmesan Salad and my Cranberry Walnut Feta Salad.
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. If you have an abundance of summer vegetables, also check out my Veggie Garden Pesto Pizza and my Roasted Heirloom Tomato Soup.
Key Ingredients Needed For This Recipe
Fresh Vegetables: Cherry tomatoes, red onion, green bell pepper, and cucumber all add delicious fresh flavors as well as vitamins, nutrients, and bright colors to this dish.
Greek Olives: Greek olives add a briny and savory element to the salad. They provide a rich flavor and pleasant saltiness.
Boxed Orzo Pasta: Orzo pasta is a small, rice-shaped pasta that is perfect for salads. It cooks quickly, has a smooth texture, and tastes wonderful cold.
Feta Cheese: Feta cheese adds a tangy and salty taste to the orzo pasta salad. It has a crumbly texture and enhances the overall Mediterranean flavor.
*See the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make This Greek Pasta Salad Recipe
If you haven't made or bought the dressing yet, make the lemon herb salad dressing. Clean and cut the cherry tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, cucumber, and Greek olives.
Cook the orzo pasta according to the box instructions. Give the pasta a quick rinse with cold water and set it aside.
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.
Expert Tips, Substitutions, and Variations
- 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, just 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.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can substitute orzo with other small pasta shapes like penne or fusilli if you don't have orzo on hand. However, orzo's unique shape and texture work exceptionally well in this salad.
Yes, lemon orzo pasta salad can be made ahead of time. It's best to prepare the salad components separately and keep them cold. Toss them together with the dressing just before serving to keep the flavors and textures fresh.
Store any leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should stay fresh for up to 2-3 days. If the salad becomes a bit dry after refrigeration, you can add a little more dressing or a drizzle of olive oil before serving.
Absolutely! Lemon orzo pasta salad is versatile, and you can add a protein like grilled chicken, shrimp, or chickpeas to make it a heartier and more satisfying meal.
If you get a chance to make this Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad Recipe, tag me on Instagram or Facebook and show me, or leave a review below! You can also follow me on Pinterest and sign up for my e-mail list to receive more fun and delicious recipes in your inbox.
Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad Recipe
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.
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!