This Greek Orzo Salad is packed to the brim with flavour and is so simple to make!
Reader, Lala says: ‘Wow I made this Greek orzo pasta salad this evening and it’s soo filling and really delicious. I’ll be making it a lot over the summer. ★★★★★’
Greek Pasta Salad
As far as orzo salads go, this has to be one of the more popular versions. With that being said, it begs the question, ‘What makes this particular Greek orzo salad better than the rest?’. The answer is all in the preparation of the ingredients.
Marinating the fillings
The key to this salad being so delicious is the marinade. Instead of merely mixing all the ingredients together, we’re going to marinate some of them in the dressing beforehand. This will create a gorgeous flavour exchange between the ingredients and the dressing, which amplifies the flavour of the whole salad.
The main ingredients in question are feta, tomatoes, olives, alongside red onion and garlic.
How long do you marinate the ingredients?
I recommend an hour, but you can marinate them for longer if you’d like. Anything up to overnight, you’ll want to cover it in the fridge. Also, try and stir everything now and then if you can.
Recipe Tip #1
Because the orzo is so small, I recommend dicing everything up nice and small, just so you get a bit of everthing with each fork full!
Process shots: add extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, parsley, oregano, salt & pepper to bowl (photo 1), whisk (photo 2), add tomatoes, feta, red onion, olives and garlic (photo 3), toss then marinate (photo 4), add cooked/drained orzo, cucumber & green pepper (photo 5), stir to combine (photo 6).
Orzo Pasta Salad
I can’t explain it, but using orzo in this salad just takes it to new heights (you know how much I love my Orzo Recipes). Yes, it’s just pasta and yes, you could just use regular pasta. But sometimes life just calls for orzo!
When you cook the orzo, it’s really important to rinse it in cold water and drain it well. This is for a couple of reasons:
- It immediately stops the cooking process so the pasta doesn’t continue cooking as it rests.
- It lowers the temperature of the pasta so it doesn’t wilt the herbs or warm the other fillings.
- It removes the starch, which helps keep the pasta salad loose and prevents it from sticking too much as it rests.
Recipe Tip #2
Because the orzo will dry up the longer it sits, I actually like to overcook it slightly. That way, there’s room for it to absorb the marinade without getting too chewy.
Serving Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
To serve, I love stirring in a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end to lift the dish. The salad is quite tangy in the first instance, but it mellows out as it rests.
You can serve this as a main for Lunch, but it also works nicely as a Side too. Here’s some of my favourite mains to serve alongside:
For more pasta salad recipes check out my Incredible Pasta Salad Recipes!
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this Greek orzo salad shall we?!
How to make Greek Orzo Pasta Salad (Full Recipe & Video)
Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
Equipment
- Large Pot & Colander (for cooking orzo)
- Large Mixing/Salad Bowl & Spatula (for salad)
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Ingredients
- 80ml / 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 small bunch Fresh Parsley, finely diced (1oz/30g)
- 1 heaped tsp Dried Oregano
- 1/4 tsp EACH: Salt, Black Pepper, plus more to taste if desired
- 150g / 5.3oz Baby Plum Tomatoes, halved
- 100g / 3.5oz Feta, sliced into tiny cubes
- 100g / 3.5oz Kalamata Olives, halved
- 3 tbsp very finely diced Red Onion (1/2 small/medium onion)
- 1 small clove of Garlic, very finely diced
- 300g / 1 1/2 cups uncooked Orzo
- 75g / 2.6oz Green Pepper, finely diced
- 75g / 2.6oz Cucumber, sliced into thin quarter pieces
- 1/2 Lemon, plus more to taste
Instructions
- In a large mixing/salad bowl, whisk together extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, parsley, oregano and salt & pepper. Add in the tomatoes, feta, olives, onion & garlic and stir to combine. Leave it all to marinate for as long as you have time for. I recommend at least an hour, which you can do at room temp. Any longer cover in the fridge (up to overnight). Stir everything every now and then if you can.
- Cook the orzo in salted boiling water according to the package instruction, then drain and rinse with cold water until completely cool. Give it a really good shake to discard the excess water, then add into the bowl. Stir in the pepper and cucumber.
- Stir in the juice of half a lemon (or to taste) then check for seasoning and adjust if needed. The lemon, salt and pepper give the final layer of seasoning, so be generous if you need to.
Video
Notes
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition
Looking for more?
You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’
Greek Orzo Pasta Salad FAQ
You’ll find it in the pasta section at most supermarkets.
Yes! You can chill it in the fridge until needed if you prefer a cold pasta salad. Just be aware that the longer it rests, the drier it will get (still delicious though).
I typically keep this for around 3 days, tightly stored in the fridge.
Grilled or rotisserie chicken would go delightfully!
Please a would love a all the recipes listed. I think your recipes are invented great ingredients not difficult and some quick and easy. So I would be grateful for all the recipes. Thank you.
If you mean you want all the orzo recipes sent to in the list, you can either go to the individual ones and enter your email in the ‘send me this recipe’ sign up forms in the recipes cards, or got to the main roundup (https://www.dontgobaconmyheart.co.uk/best-orzo-recipes/) and have that sent to you. C.
Thanks
Cheers Karen! C.