Summer Orzo Pasta Salad is a great addition to any summer get together! This summer salad recipe mixes together orzo pasta, chickpeas, feta cheese, crisp summer vegetables, fresh herbs and is topped with a light vinaigrette. Your guests are sure to love this one!

SUMMER ORZO PASTA SALAD

This Summer Orzo Pasta Salad is one of my most popular recipes on A Cedar Spoon.

It is a salad I make so many times over the summer. It is always a crowd pleaser and can easily be made ahead of time.

When summer approaches, you need a delicious, easy fresh pasta salad that doesn’t take a lot to cook.

This summer orzo pasta is the perfect side dish to serve at a dinner party, bbq gathering, and more. 

Warm weather means lots of salads, especially pasta salads.

I find pasta salads, like this Summer Orzo Pasta Salad really easy to make and always a huge hit with guests.

When it comes to summer entertaining I know I like to make things as easy as possible with as little work to do as possible when my guests arrive. 

This Summer Orzo Pasta Salad is easy to put together the day before or the morning of your party, leaving you with more time to enjoy your guests and the nice weather.

If I am not entertaining, I still like to make my pasta salads on Sundays when we grill out and then I eat the leftovers during the week for lunch.

They make the perfect quick and easy leftovers that pairs nicely with grilled chicken or salmon for extra protein.

This pasta salad recipe mixes orzo pasta {try whole wheat pasta for a healthier option}, crumbled feta cheese, chickpeas, crisp summer vegetables, fresh herbs and is mixed with a red wine vinaigrette.

Orzo is one of my favorite things to add to side dishes and salads.

If you agree you should give this 4 Ingredient Cheesy Orzo or this Greek Orzo Salad a try too. I also love adding chickpeas to my salads for extra protein.

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN THIS EASY ORZO SALAD?

VEGETABLES: This salad uses fresh veggies including cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and red onion.

Feel free to add whatever fresh vegetables you have in your fridge. I love red bell pepper, zucchini, carrots and celery if I have them. 

HERBS: This recipe uses fresh mint, fresh basil and fresh parsley. If you have fresh dill that is always a nice addition too.

CHICKPEAS: One can of chickpeas add a nice texture and protein to this salad. Other ideas would be white beans or kidney beans. 

CHEESE: I love the feta cheese in this orzo pasta salad but you can also use goat, sharp cheddar or whatever you like.

THE DRESSING: Homemade salad dressings take the salad to the next level. This dressing mixes together red wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey and extra virgin olive oil. Feel free to also add some lemon zest for extra lemony flavor.

HOW TO MAKE THIS ORZO PASTA SALAD?

COOK THE ORZO: Cook the orzo according to the package until al dente. Let cool completely or run under cold water until cooled.

MIX TOGETHER SALAD INGREDIENTS EXCEPT ORZO: In large mixing bowl combine the cucumber, feta cheese, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, red onion and gently stir to combine.

CREATE DRESSING: In a mason jar or salad dressing container whisk together the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, pepper and extra virgin oil.

ADD ORZO INTO THE SALAD: Add the orzo pasta to the vegetables and mix well. Pour half of the dressing over the salad and toss. Sprinkle the basil, mint and parsley over the salad and gently toss. 

SERVE OR REFRIGERATE: If serving immediately add more dressing if you feel like the salad needs it. Otherwise refrigerate the remaining half of the dressing and the salad. When ready to serve add the remaining dressing and toss.

TIPS FOR THIS ORZO SALAD:

CUT IN HALF: If you don’t want a huge batch then just cut the recipe in half. Also, for the salad dressing the recipe will make about half of a quart size mason jar of dressing.

DRESSING SUGGESTIONS: I suggest when you make the salad you add 1/4 cup of the dressing and then when you are ready to serve the salad, you add another 1/4 cup of dressing or more if you think it needs it. The salad will soak up the dressing if you are refrigerating it before serving.

AL DENTE: Cook the orzo just until it’s al dente, meaning it’s cooked but still slightly firm to the bite. Overcooking can lead to mushy orzo, which isn’t ideal for salads.

COOL PROPERLY: After cooking, rinse the orzo under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down quickly. This helps prevent it from becoming sticky and clumping together.

ADD PROTEIN: To make your orzo salad more filling, consider adding protein like gilled chicken, shrimp, or tofu are all excellent options.

WAYS TO MODIFY THIS ORZO PASTA SALAD RECIPE:

BEANS: You can add beans to this salad to add protein and bulk it up. I love black beans or cannellini beans if you don’t want to use chickpeas.

CHEESE: Other than feta cheese I think that goat cheese works nicely in this orzo salad.

VEGETABLES: Fresh vegetables are another great addition to the salad. You could try zucchini, carrots, celery, radish, roasted red pepper and artichoke hearts.

NUTS: Sprinkle some toasted pine nuts, almonds, or walnuts for a crunchy texture and nutty flavor.

GRAINS: Substitute orzo with other grains like quinoa or couscous for a different texture or try a whole wheat orzo.

SPICES: Adding spices to the salad dressing creates more flavor in the salad. Some options are Greek seasoning, cayenne red pepper, crushed red pepper or paprika.

OTHER INGREDIENTS: You also can add in kalamata olives, easy marinated tomatoes, oven roasted tomatoes, roasted red peppers, pickled red onions, or pickled vegetables to this salad.

OTHER ORZO RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE: 

LEMON CHICKEN ORZO

LEMON CHICKEN ORZO SOUP

4 INGREDIENT CHEESEY ORZO

MIXED BERRY ORZO SALAD

CREAMY TOMATO ORZO

CHEESY BUTTERNUT SQUASH ORZO RECIPE

CHICKPEA SALAD