Orzo Pasta Salad

This Orzo Pasta Salad recipe is made with cooked orzo pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and chickpeas tossed in a balsamic Dijon vinaigrette – serve warm or cold! Perfect for a get together or backyard BBQ with family and friends!

Making up a batch of Orzo Pasta Salad to take to a party is the perfect, easy solution to deciding what to bring! This salad has the perfect combination of pasta, veggies, and dressing. The chickpeas are a fun and different addition to the ingredients!

This pasta salad is actually good warm or cold, so go with your preference for salads. I tend to like cold pasta salad because we typically serve them with grilled burgers and hot dogs, but warm tastes good as well.

Where do I find orzo?

Orzo can be find in the pasta aisle of the grocery store. It’s in a smaller box so look carefully!

I orzo the same as rice?

No, they are very different. Orzo is typical pasta cut into the shape of rice. In many instances you can use orzo in place of rice in recipes, but the preparation time is different.

Can I substitute rice for the orzo in this recipe?

No, you need the pasta to soak up the flavor of the dressing. Rice would also be a bit too small to use in a salad recipe like this one. Go for the orzo!

Can I add other vegetables in that I have on hand?

Absolutely! Other veggies that would go good with the dressing flavor would be bell pepper, fresh sliced mushrooms, snap peas, zucchini, and broccoli. Use what you have!

What’s in this recipe?

Orzo pasta (of course), cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, chickpeas, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and oregano.

How do I cook orzo?

Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a pinch of salt if you prefer. Stir in the orzo and continue boiling for 8 – 10 minutes or until the orzo is fork tender. Drain the orzo into a colander over the sink. If you using it cold, rinse the orzo for a few minutes under cold water.

Can I use peeled cucumber instead?

Sure! I like to keep the skin on for color, but feel free to peel the cucumber if that’s your taste preference.

Can I use balsamic vinaigrette instead of vinegar?

You can definitely try and substitute the balsamic vinegar for balsamic vinaigrette, but the flavor wouldn’t have the same punch. Balsamic vinegar is much stronger of a flavor and is definitely the preferred ingredient in this recipe.

How to make this recipe:

1. To make the dressing, whisk together the Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, and oregano in a small bowl. Set this bowl aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the orzo, sliced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, and drained chickpeas.

3. Pour in the prepared balsamic dressing mixture over the pasta salad ingredients.

4. Mix well to incorporate the dressing into the salad ingredients. Refrigerate for 2 hours if serving cold, or serve immediately if serving warm.

How long does this pasta salad keep for?

I recommend using this pasta salad within 3 days for best flavor and texture.

Can this recipe be frozen?

No, because of the raw vegetables in the salad the texture would be off if you froze and thawed this salad. It’s best to make it up right before you plan on serving it.

How many people does this serve?

This one makes a lot, there are about 10 servings in this salad.

Storing leftovers:

Store any leftovers in a plastic container with a lid in the refrigerator. It’s not recommended to warm up the salad after it has cooled, so future servings of the salad should be cold (the vegetables will wilt otherwise).

More recipes you’ll love:

• Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
• Honey Dijon Chicken Salad
• Cherry Crumb Pie
• Creamy Cucumber Bagel Sandwiches
• Deli Cucumber Salad

If you liked this recipe, leave a comment and a rating below this post!

Orzo Pasta Salad

This Orzo Pasta Salad is made with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and chickpeas tossed in a balsamic Dijon vinaigrette - serve warm or cold!

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: recipe for orzo pasta salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 410kcal

Author: Kelly Miller

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 lb orzo pasta
• ▢ 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 2 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon water
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
• ▢ 1 cucumber diced
• ▢ 15 oz can chickpeas drained and rinsed

Instructions

• Cook orzo according to package directions.
• Meanwhile in a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, olive oil, water, oregano, basil, and garlic.
• Drain orzo and place in a large mixing bowl.
• Add tomatoes, cucumber, and chickpeas.
• Toss with vinaigrette.
• Serve warm, or refrigerate overnight and serve cold.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 279mg | Potassium: 425mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 179IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 3mg

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