Greek Salad Recipe
Whether you're hosting a summer barbecue, packing a picnic, or looking for a refreshing side dish, orzo pasta salad is a perfect choice.
Servings: 2 adults
Calories: 711kcal
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Salad Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 150 gram orzo pasta
- 1 large size English cucumber, diced
- 1 medium size red onion, sliced
- 1 small size green bell pepper, diced
- 10 cherry tomato, cut into halves
- ⅓ Cup olives, pitted and cut into halves
- ¼ Cup feta cheese cut into cubes
- 2 sprigs fresh mint leaves, chopped
- 2 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
Ingredients For Salad Dressing
- 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, crushed
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add salt and orzo, then cook per packet directions (usually 10 - 12 minutes). Transfer to a colander, drain the water, rinse with cold water, toss with a teaspoon of olive oil, and allow the pasta to cool completely.
- Once cooled, toss the cooked orzo with chopped ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, dried oregano, salt, garlic, and pepper to create the salad dressing. Taste and if required, add more seasoning.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad ingredients and gently toss to coat evenly. Save some dressing to drizzle right before serving.
- Crumble the feta cheese over the top of the salad. Garnish with fresh parsley or mint. Toss one last time.
- Allow the flavours to meld together in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. Drizzle the remaining dressing and serve the Greek Orzo Pasta Salad.
Notes
For added protein, you can incorporate grilled chicken, shrimp, or chickpeas. The key is to select ingredients that complement each other both in taste and texture.
You can customize it to suit your taste preferences or accommodate dietary restrictions. From fresh vegetables to flavorful herbs, the possibilities are endless.
Orzo is a delicate variety of pasta, do not cook it for too long. It will become mushy.
Vegetable Substitutes:
– Tomato: sub with 2 large tomatoes, scoop out the watery pulp and then dice the flesh.
– Green Capsicum can be replaced with red or yellow ones. Olives – Sub with Greek olives, black or green pitted olives. Leftovers: Keeps well for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator.
– Tomato: sub with 2 large tomatoes, scoop out the watery pulp and then dice the flesh.
– Green Capsicum can be replaced with red or yellow ones. Olives – Sub with Greek olives, black or green pitted olives. Leftovers: Keeps well for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Calories: 711kcal | Carbohydrates: 83g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 24g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 1753mg | Potassium: 911mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1121IU | Vitamin C: 108mg | Calcium: 220mg | Iron: 4mg