Orzo Salad Recipe {With Summer Veggies}

This Orzo Salad is a fantastic Summer Pasta Salad Recipe. Fresh summer corn, zucchini, feta, and basil give this pasta salad a new take on Mediterranean Orzo Salad.

Packed with fresh seasonal vegetables, a flavorful vinaigrette, plus feta cheese, this orzo salad recipe makes the perfect summer side dish for any cookout or picnic.

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Why You'll Love this Feta Orzo Salad

• So much flavor is packed into this easy pasta salad recipe.
• Summers bounty is highlighted in this orzo salad recipe; it's packed with healthy summer veggies.
• Quick and easy to make because orzo cooks up in just 11 minutes. Add a zucchini, fresh corn, and a few herbs, and you have one summer recipe that's a keeper.

What You'll Need

• Orzo adds a fantastic tiny pasta shape that mingles perfectly with the feta and summer veggies in this pasta salad.
• Corn adds a crisp, sweet crunch. You'll want about 2 cups of corn. (2 to 3 cobs). If you don't have fresh, you can opt for frozen corn.
• Zucchini is diced to about the size of the corn kernels.
• Fresh basil and parsley add a ton of herbaceous summer flavor. Chiffonade the basil by stacking the leaves and then rolling them. Thinly slice the roll to create delicate ribbons of basil. Finely mince the parsley.
• Oil and vinegar add flavor to pasta salad. Adding the vinegar to warm pasta encourages it to absorb into the pasta for maximum flavor. Use a robustly flavored Mediterranean olive oil.
• Feta cheese — skip the crumbled feta and opt for the feta that comes in a block. The flavor is so much better.
• Red pepper flakes add a kick of spice. You can leave it out if spicy food isn't your jam.
• Salt and pepper to taste. Make sure to taste the salad and adjust the seasoning. Feta is a salty cheese so depending on the brand you're using, you may need to adjust the salt in this recipe.

How To Make Orzo Salad

1. Cook the corn. Add 6 to 8 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. Add the corn cobs to the boiling water and boil for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the corn from the water and set it aside.
2. Cook the orzo. Using the same boiling water, add 1 cup of orzo and boil for 10 minutes. Drain the orzo and place it into a large bowl.
3. Season the pasta. Add the sherry vinegar and the salt and pepper to the pasta immediatly toss to combine.
4. Add the veggies. Dice the zucchini, and cut the corn off of the cob. Add the summer vegetables to the orzo pasta salad and toss.
5. Add the herbs. Mince the parsley and chiffonade the basil, add it to the pasta salad. Add the red pepper flakes.
6. Add the feta cheese. Dice or crumble the feta and add it to the salad. Toss to combine.

Orzo Salad Tips

• Perfect pasta for pasta salad. Cook the orzo to in salted water to al dente, it should have just a little bite. Season the pasta immediately after draining it. Adding the vinegar and salt and pepper to warm pasta maximizes the flavor in this pasta salad.
• Dice veggies to similar sizes. Because the orzo pasta is small and the corn is pre-sized, I recommend keeping the dice on the zucchini to about the same size as the corn kernels. This gives the pasta salad a synchronise look and feel.

What to Serve With Pasta Salad

This orzo salad is a perfect summer side for all of your cookouts or picnics.  It's the ideal accompaniment to grilled meat or pulled pork.

More Cookout Sides

Fresh, crisp salads like the Classic Wedge with Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing or try something new like the Savory Watermelon Salad with Pecorino.

Crunchy Asian Cucumbers or Southern Coleslaw are perfect with grilled main dishes.

Try something regional and spice up your summer barbecue with a Mexican Corn Salad or the Hawaiian Mac Salad recipe.

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