Greek Orzo Pasta Salad is a summer pasta salad recipe with orzo, crisp vegetables, feta cheese and a light Greek dressing. You can make this salad in advance and it can be used for up to 4 days after you make it making it a great choice for weekly lunches, parties and warm weather bbqs.
I have a special place in my heart for Greek food after traveling to Greece with Mike. We fell in love with their food, especially all of their fresh Greek salads. Since I am such a big fan of orzo salads I knew I had to make a Greek Orzo Pasta Salad.
I love Greek inspired salads with mediterranean flavors like this Spiralized Greek Salad, Greek Quinoa Salad, and this Greek Village Sala
Today’s salad mixes orzo pasta, tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives, feta cheese, red onion, fresh parsley and dill and has a light Greek style dressing.
Many of you have also made this Mediterranean Pasta Salad, Caprese Orzo Salad, Summer Orzo Pasta Salad, Arugula Orzo Pasta Salad, and this Tomato Feta Orzo Salad. They are all great recipes for your meal prep, get togethers or a summer bbq.
Why You Will Love this Orzo Pasta Salad
- Easy to Make-Ahead: The nice thing with an orzo salad is you can prepare the salad ahead of time. It is ideal for potlucks, picnics, and BBQs—holds up well and serves a crowd. It travels well and doesn’t need to be served hot.
- Simple Side: This is a simple side dish that you can easily make! It can be ready in under 30 minutes with easy-to-find ingredients.
- Budget-Friendly: Uses affordable, staple ingredients that stretch to feed a group.
Recipe Ingredients You’ll Need
Please see the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and instructions.
- Pasta: I used orzo pasta in this salad. I like how it is small and compliments the other ingredients and lets them shine.
- Vegetables: There is a variety of vegetables that I used. This orzo salad has cherry tomatoes, english cucumbers, red onion and kalamata olives.
- Cheese: I love adding feta cheese. Try to find a block of cheese and freshly crumble it yourself. You will love the creamy texture!
- Herbs: Fresh herbs are added to this salad to finish it off and add flavor. I added fresh parsley and fresh dill.
- Dressing: The dressing is similar to a traditional Greek dressing using a good quality extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar, honey, garlic and dried oregano.
Recipe Modifications:
- Beans: Add chickpeas, white beans, or black beans for protein and heartiness.
- Cheese: Feta is classic, but goat cheese works too, or skip the cheese entirely.
- Vegetables: Try bell peppers, zucchini, carrots, celery, radish, roasted red peppers, or artichoke hearts.
- Fresh Herbs: Fresh dill is key, but basil and mint are great additions.
- Nuts: Add toasted pine nuts, almonds, or walnuts for crunch.
- Grains: Swap orzo with quinoa or couscous.
- Spices: Boost flavor with Greek seasoning, cayenne, crushed red pepper, or paprika.
- Extras: Mix in pickled red onions, marinated or sun-dried tomatoes, olives, banana peppers, or pepperoncinis.
How to Make this Greek Orzo Salad
Step 1. Cook the Orzo: Cook the orzo pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool it down.
Step 2. Mix Salad Ingredients: In a large bowl combine the cooked orzo, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, kalamata olives, creamy feta cheese, red onion, and parsley.
Step 3. Mix Together Dressing Ingredients: In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, dried oregano, salt, and pepper.
Step 4. Toss Salad in Dressing: Pour the dressing over the orzo salad and toss gently to combine, ensuring all ingredients are coated.
Step 5. Refrigerate and Serve: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. Taste and add more greek salad dressing to your liking. Before serving, give the salad a final toss and garnish with additional parsley. Serve alongside your favorite meal and store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Storage Tips
Store the salad in an airtight container for up to 4 days. I suggest adding more dressing when you are ready to serve as the dressing can soak into the salad. I also like to add more fresh herbs in to freshen the salad up.
What to Pair with this Salad
- A few other dishes I like to serve with this salad are these Mediterranean Baked Turkey Meatballs, Moroccan Chicken Thighs or these Grilled Chicken Thighs with Greek Marinade.
- I love to pair this salad with seafood like this Air Fryer Cod, Black Sea Bass or this Baked Cod with Lemon Sauce.
- Beef is another nice pairing. I often do this Grilled Flank Steak with Dry Rub, Grilled Beef Kofta Kebabs or these Mediterranean Beef Kabobs.
Recipe FAQ
Cook the orzo pasta just until it’s al dente, as it will continue to soften slightly as it cools. Overcooked orzo can become mushy and affect the texture of the salad. Once the orzo is done cooking, rinse it under cold water. This stops the cooking process and helps the orzo cool quickly. It also helps prevent it from clumping together.
The dressing adds a lot of flavor to the salad. You can adjust it to your liking by adding more lemon, spices or even more honey for sweetness. I suggest adding half of it and refrigerating the salad for 30 minutes, tasting the salad and adding more of the dressing to your liking.
More Greek Recipes to Try
Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces of dry orzo pasta {try whole wheat if you can find it}
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 of an English cucumber, sliced
- 1 cup cucumber, diced or sliced
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
FOR THE DRESSING
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Cook the orzo pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool it down. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the cooked orzo, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, red onion, and parsley.
- In a small bowl or mason jar mix the olive oil, lemon juice, dried oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the half of the dressing over the orzo salad and toss gently to combine, ensuring all ingredients are coated.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Add more dressing as needed.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld together.
- Before serving add more dressing if desired and give the salad a final toss and garnish with additional parsley and dill. Serve chilled and store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- This Greek Orzo Salad can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If I know I am making this ahead I will add half of the dressing and then add the other half when I serve the salad.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This salad is perfect. Always a crowd pleaser. Packed with flavor!
Made this for my husband and he loved it. Making it today for a wedding. I have 3 lbs of orzo!!!
Oh wow-that is a lot of orzo!! That is wonderful that he liked it. I hope everyone at the wedding enjoys it too!
This was awesome!
Thanks! So glad you liked it.
This looks so incredibly good! I love Greek food! My favorite salads have a ton of color in them, especially in the warmer months, so this one is definitely going to be happening for lunch and dinner next week. Pinning!
Thanks Anna! It is one of my favorite summer pasta salads. I like to also add grilled chicken for a hearty dinner or lunch. Let me know if you try it!
This looks awesome and perfect for summer. I’ll look for a substitute for the pepperoncini.
Can’t wait to try the salad dressing recipe.
Hi Mia! Thanks for stopping by. You can omit the pepperocinis if you don’t like them. I know a lot of people don’t like olives or the pepperocini so you can definitely leave those out. You can also try roasted red peppers, artichokes or even banana peppers for a little salty, vinegar flavor.
Orzo is fabulous in pasta salads and I just love all the flavor in this. Pinning!
Thanks Valerie! I love orzo in pasta salads too.
We eat a TON of greek salad in our house, I love the addition of orzo (and a new homemade dressing recipe)!
Thanks Holly!
Orzo is so addicting, it’s like the best of pasta and rice. I love your photos and love this recipe. Pinning!
I agree! It is one of my favorite pastas when making side dishes and pasta salads. Thanks so much!
Orzo is such a perfect pairing with Greek flavors! I love this pasta salad! Pinned!
Agreed! Thanks Mariah!
Love orzo salads! The flavors in this one sound wonderful!
Thanks Jessica!