Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

Why You'll Love this Greek Orzo Pasta Salad...

Ingredients:

Here's an overview of what you'll need to make this Greek Orzo Pasta Salad recipe, but keep scrolling for the full recipe amounts.

• Orzo Pasta: You will need one 16-ounce box of orzo pasta.  Orzo is small, like rice grains, but it is actually a pasta and cooks the same way as rice in boiling water.  You can use regular orzo, wheat, or gluten-free, depending on your diet.
• Cherry Tomatoes: You will need about 1 pint of sweet cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, which equals 2 cups in the recipe.
• Cucumber: This Greek Orzo Pasta Salad calls for an English cucumber, which has a thinner skin.  You will need 1 regular-sized cucumber, cut in half and sliced, which should equal about 3 cups.
• Kalamata Olives: Kalamata olives have a salty, briny flavor.  Look for pitted kalamata olives.  If you don't like olives, just leave them out.
• Yellow Bell Pepper: Yellow bell pepper brings more color and crunch to the dish.  You will need one yellow bell pepper, diced into about 1 cup.  You can also substitute red bell pepper or green bell pepper.
• Greek Salad Dressing: My 5-ingredient Greek Salad Dressing is made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon, garlic, oregano, thyme, and rosemary.  If you don't feel up for making your own, I also like this one or this one in a bottle.
• Feta: Feta cheese brings this pasta salad to life with its salty flavor.  I used the pre-crumbled feta, but you can also buy a block and dice it.
• Parsley: Parsley also brings freshness to this dish.  You could also use fresh dill, basil, or oregano.
• Salt & Black Pepper

Instructions:

This is an overview of the instructions to make this Greek Orzo Pasta Salad, but the full, detailed, printable recipe is below in the recipe card.

Step One: Prepare the Orzo

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Prepare the pasta according to package instructions, cooking to al dente.
2. Using a colander, drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water.

Step Two: Prepare the Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

1. In a large bowl, toss together the cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olives, bell pepper, and parsley.
2. Add the Homemade Greek Salad Dressing to taste.
3. Stir in the feta cheese last and add any salt and pepper, if needed.

Variations

I love this Greek Orzo Pasta Salad as written, but here are some fun variations.

• Mix up the Pasta: Any small pasta will also work with it, including ditalini or penne.
• Add Meat: You can add chicken to this for extra protein.
• Make it Vegan: Leave off the feta cheese or substitute a plant-based feta.
• Make it Gluten-Free: To make this gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta.
• Add Beans: For a vegetarian protein boost, add chickpeas or white beans.
• Mix up the Veggies: Other veggies you can add include red onion, radish, carrots, zucchini, spinach, roasted red peppers, or even celery.

FAQ

Storage & Leftovers

If you make this Greek Orzo Pasta Salad I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and a star rating ★ below. Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook too!

Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

Julie Wunder

Greek Orzo Pasta Salad is a delicious summer pasta salad made with orzo pasta, ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, bell peppers, olives, fresh herbs, and feta cheese.  It comes together with a simple Homemade Greek Salad Dressing.  Perfect for a fast dinner or cookout.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 8

Calories 316 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 16 ounces orzo pasta
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 cups English cucumber, halved and sliced
• ½ cup kalamata olives
• 1 cup yellow bell pepper
• ½ cup Greek Salad Dressing
• ½ cup feta, crumbled
• ¼ cup parsley
• salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

 

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Prepare the pasta according to package instructions, cooking to al dente.
• Using a colander, drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water.
• In a large bowl, toss together the cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olives, bell pepper and parsley.
• Add the Homemade Greek Salad Dressing to taste.
• Stir in the feta cheese last and add any salt and pepper, if needed.
• Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Storage & Leftovers

Store any leftovers from this Greek Orzo Pasta Salad recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.  You can make this up to 3 days in advance.  If it's dried out a bit, just add a touch more dressing, lemon juice, or olive oil.

Nutrition

Calories: 316kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 10gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 343mgPotassium: 332mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 519IUVitamin C: 46mgCalcium: 78mgIron: 1mg

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