Description
A bright, tangy, and refreshing orzo salad with feta, cucumber, and dill that travels well and improves overnight, making it the perfect easy picnic dish.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz orzo pasta
- 1 large English cucumber, diced
- 6 oz feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved (optional)
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add orzo and cook until al dente (8-10 minutes).
- Drain the orzo in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking and cool it down. Shake to remove excess water.
- While pasta cooks, prep vegetables: dice cucumber, halve tomatoes, dice red onion, chop dill, and pit/halve olives if using.
- In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled orzo, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, dill, and olives.
- Pour dressing over the mixture and add crumbled feta cheese.
- Toss gently but thoroughly until everything is coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight, to let flavors meld.
- Give a good toss before serving and add extra black pepper on top. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Notes
Rinse orzo with cold water to prevent gluey texture. Salt pasta water generously. For best flavor, make the night before. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Do not freeze as cucumbers will get mushy. If using regular cucumbers, peel and seed them to avoid watery salad.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 8
Keywords: orzo salad, summer salad, picnic recipe, vegetarian, make-ahead, feta, cucumber, easy dinner, meal prep