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    Home » Recipes » Salads

    Orzo Salad Recipe {With Summer Veggies}

    Published: Jul 21, 2021 · Modified: May 6, 2022 by Laura Reigel · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump To Recipe Comments
    Orzo Salad Recipe

    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.

    summer pasta salad with orzo, corn, zucchini, and feta

    Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!

    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

    ingredients for orzo salad
    • 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

    ingredients for the orzo salad with feta in a bowl ready to be tossed together
    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.
    summer orzo salad mixed together

    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.
    serving orzo salad on a spoon

    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.

    • Simple Grilled Chicken Recipe
    • Smoked Pulled Pork
    • Pork Shish Kabobs (with Bacon Rub)

    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.

    • Mexican Corn Salad (Esquites)
    • Hawaiian Macaroni Salad (Plate Lunch Mac Salad)
    • Wedge Salad (with Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing)
    • Watermelon Salad With Pecorino Cheese & Honey Balsamic Dressing
    • Cucumber Salad Recipe (Spicy Asian Style)
    • Southern Coleslaw Recipe

    ➽ Did you make this recipe? I love to see what's going on in your kitchen. Please show me what you're cooking. 🍳 Tag me @foodologygeek on your favorite social channel! Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest. If you loved ❤︎ this recipe, please leave a five ★ review and a comment!

    zucchini and corn orzo salad with feta
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    Orzo Salad

    Laura Reigel
    This Orzo Salad is a fantastic Summer Pasta Salad Recipe. It's made with fresh summer corn, zucchini, feta, and basil. It's my spin of the Mediterranean Orzo Salad. Packed with fresh seasonal vegetables, a flavorful vinaigrette, plus feta, this orzo salad recipe makes the perfect summer side dish for any cookout or picnic.
    PRINT PIN SAVE SAVED
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 11 mins
    Total Time 31 mins
    Course Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8
    Calories 212 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup orzo cooked al dente, according to directions
    • 2 cobs corn cooked and cut from the cobb (1 ½ to 2 cups)
    • 2 to 3 small zucchini diced (1 ½ to 2 cups)
    • ¼ cup basil chiffonade
    • ¼ cup parsley minced
    • ¼ cup sherry vinegar
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 4 ounces feta diced
    • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
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    Instructions
     

    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Add the sherry vinegar and the salt and pepper to the pasta immediatly, toss to combine.
    • Dice the zucchini, and cut the corn off of the cob. Add the vegetables to the orzo and toss.
    • Mince the parsley and chiffonade the basil, add it to the pasta salad. Add the red pepper flakes.
    • Dice or crumble the feta and add it to the salad. Toss to combine.

    YOUR OWN NOTES

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    Nutrition

    Calories: 212kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 6gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 311mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gCalcium: 85mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword orzo, pasta salad, summer side dish
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Snap a 📸 and share it. Tag me @foodologygeek and don't forget to hashtag #foodologygeek!

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    About Laura Reigel

    Laura is the owner and CEO of Foodology Geek. She holds a degree in Physiology and Neuroscience as well as a Certification as a Nutrition Coach. Laura uses her love of cooking and science to create healthy real food recipes that you'll love eating.

    As a certified recipe hoarder, and meal prep maven Laura is passionate about sharing her love for cooking easy from-scratch recipes. She also shares the occasional family recipe and all of the technical details.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Seanna Borrows

      July 21, 2021 at 12:59 pm

      5 stars
      So fresh and flavorful. Love the use of sweet corn and summer veg!

      Reply

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