Greek Orzo Salad

Greek Orzo Salad – aka the most party-perfect orzo pasta salad ever! We’re totally crazy in love with this delicious and colorful vegetarian side dish!

I’m kind of freaking out over this crazy colorful greek orzo salad.

I thought I was in love with hot + cheesy orzo dishes, and then this bad boy had to make its way into my kitchen and win my heart all over again. Now I don’t know which one I love more!

Y’all are going to have to help me break the tie or I may wind up in a permanent pasta love triangle over here.

Seriously though, can you blame me?

It’s as tasty as it is pretty!

Greek Orzo Salad

This healthy Greek orzo salad is a total party on a plate!

Tender orzo pasta is tossed with peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and feta, and dressed with the easiest homemade Greek dressing ever. It’s marvelously Mediterranean and ready to rock your veggies!

This easy vegetarian side dish is sized for a crowd so feel free to bring it to your next party, potluck, picnic, or cookout.

It’s basically a guaranteed hit at the gathering of your choice and can be tossed together in advance to make life oh so easy. Simply make a little extra dressing to toss the salad in before serving, as it soaks much of the deliciousness up in the fridge overnight. YUM!

need a small batch serving?

No worries! You can easily halve this recipe to yield less pasta salad goodness. Because the veggies don’t really need to be measured, you can basically make as few servings as you need and be good to go!

This can easily be made into a speedy side dish for 2-4 as needed and pairs great with lunch or dinner. If you do wind up making a larger batch, the leftovers are great packed in lunches for work or school!

Feeling a little EXTRA? Jarred olives or artichokes make a great addition to this tasty pasta salad! I used both red and green bell peppers here, but you could also use any combination of bell peppers you have on hand or even sweet mini peppers too. Red, orange, yellow, green… anything goes!

I think I may even try it next time with a little chopped spinach or kale as well – it’s so crazy versatile!

Greek Orzo Salad

Greek Orzo Salad for a crowd; aka the most party-perfect orzo pasta salad evahhhh! We’re totally crazy in love with this colorful side dish!

5 from 12 votes

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Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: Greek Orzo Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes minutes

Total Time: 23 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Author: Jenn Laughlin – Peas and Crayons

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry orzo pasta
• 1-2 cups chopped bell pepper, any color
• 1-2 cups cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
• ½ English cucumber, chopped plus any extra to taste
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
• ½ cup finely chopped red onion
• 2-3 TBSP fresh parsley

EASY HOMEMADE GREEK DRESSING

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 TBSP red wine vinegar
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 1 TBSP dijon mustard
• ½ tsp dried parsley (or 1 tsp fresh)
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp dried basil
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp black pepper

OPTIONAL EXTRAS

• banana peppers
• olives

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Instructions

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 cups dry orzo pasta and a pinch of salt and cook for 8 minutes or until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water (I do this using a fine mesh sieve, easy peasy!) to halt the cooking process. Add pasta to a large bowl and set aside.
• While your noodles cook, chop your veggies and make the dressing.
• For the dressing, combine ingredients in a lidded jar and shake vigorously to emulsify. Allow to sit while you toss together your salad, then shake again before serving.
• Add all your veggies to the orzo with the dressing and mix well. Top with feta and optional fresh parsley. Give it a taste and add any extra salt and pepper to taste as well as any extra veggies or feta your heart desires.
• Salad may be enjoyed right away (room temperature) or chilled briefly before serving. Both options are delicious. Enjoy!

Notes

For a speedy (and gloriously lazy) alternative dressing, feel free to drizzle olive oil and red wine vinegar over the salad and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bonus points for a squeeze of fresh lemon juice if you have it.

Making this salad ahead of time? It’s great the next day and fabulous in packed lunches for work, school, or picnics. Simply make a little extra dressing to drizzle over the salad the next day, as the pasta will soak up a some of the dressing while it chills. SO GOOD!

Nutrition facts below are an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. 

Nutrition

Calories: 244kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 8mg, Sodium: 204mg, Potassium: 219mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1250IU, Vitamin C: 55.4mg, Calcium: 61mg, Iron: 0.9mg

Did you make this recipe?I want to see! Tag @peasandcrayons on Instagram and Facebook!

looking for more dishes to share at party or potluck?

• Garden Veggie Tortellini Pasta Salad
• Cherry Tomato Salad
• Spicy Southern Hot Corn <– READER FAVORITE!
• Four Cheese Baked Artichoke Dip

more awesome orzo recipes

• Summer Orzo Salad with Chickpeas and Feta
• NEW! One-Pot Orzo Vegetable Soup
• Creamy Tomato Orzo

If you get a chance to try this scrumptious and shareable Greek Orzo Salad, let me know!

You can leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!