This easy vegetarian Orzo Pasta Salad is packed with goodness! Tender pasta is tossed with chickpeas, edamame, peppers, onion, and feta and topped with an easy homemade dressing.
Consider my orzo pasta salad trilogy complete.
I’ve made a Mediterranean inspired Greek Orzo Salad, a healthy Cilantro Lime kissed Orzo Salad, and now this amazingness I’m about to share with y’all today.
I also make a mean chickpea studded Summer Orzo Pasta Salad and Lemon Orzo piled high with Parmesan, kale, and cherry tomatoes.
This pretty pasta salad is loaded with veggie goodness. My dream combo includes tender orzo swirled with chickpeas, edamame, bell pepper, red onion, and a sprinkling of scallions and feta.
YES PLEASE!
To let the flavors really shine, I kept the dressing super simple. All you’ll need is avocado oil, lime juice, a splash of white wine vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper.
special diets and swaps
Need to make a few swaps here? This recipe is SUPER customizable!
Vegan? Feel free to skip the feta and add extra veggies or herbs to the mix to round out the flavors.
I went with a tasty combination of chickpeas, edamame, bell peppers, and onion but you could also add fresh chopped tomatoes, cucumber, sweet corn, or even olives to the mix and really embrace the veggie love.
For the dressing, fresh or dried basil will work (I used dried this time around) and you can use a lemon in place of the lime if needed.
No orzo? No problem! Any small pasta will work here. You could use small shells, ditalini, or elbow macaroni too.
pasta salad serving suggestions
Pasta salad is a party, picnic, and barbecue staple pretty much year-round!
It makes a lovely side dish for veggie burgers, grilled protein, sandwiches of all shapes and sizes, and always tastes amazing nestled up to a creamy potato salad or a side of grilled veggies.
The pastabilities are endless. Hah!
Easy Orzo Pasta Salad with Chickpeas and Feta
Feel free to double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd. This orzo pasta salad can easily be made the night before (hellooo meal prep!) and tastes great all week long!
Simply store leftovers in a lidded container in the fridge and dive in whenever you need a simple salad for lunch or a side dish to go with dinner. Enjoy!
Orzo Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups dry orzo pasta
- 1 cup shelled edamame
- 1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)15 oz
- 2 bell peppers (any color) diced small
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped green onion
- 1/3-1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
SIMPLE SPEEDY DRESSING
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1 lime (juiced)
- 1 TBSP white wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp dried basil (or 1/2-1 tsp fresh)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1.5 cups dry orzo pasta and a pinch of salt and cook for 8-9 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 pasta cooks, chop your veggies and make the dressing.
- I like to finely chop the veggies so they're small like the pasta, this way every bite is packed with all the tasty components.
- For the chickpeas, simply drain and rise and add to a large bowl. For the edamame, you'll want to thaw them if shelled and precooked or steam/boil them if frozen and raw.
- For the dressing, combine ingredients in a lidded jar and shake vigorously to emulsify. Give it a taste and add any extra salt, pepper, or basil to taste.
- Add all your veggies to the chickpeas along with the cooked orzo. Add your dressing and feta and mix well.
- Give the final salad a taste and add any aditional salt and pepper desired as well as any extra feta or veggies your heart desires. This salad can be enjoyed right away or chilled before serving. The flavors amplifiy once chilled and it tastes fantastic the next few days!
Notes
Nutrition
If you get a chance to try this tasty Orzo Pasta Salad recipe, let me know!
Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
Hungry for more?
- One Pot Orzo Pasta with Garlic, Parmesan, and Mushrooms
- Healthy Quinoa Salad – a meal prep superstar!
- Tuscan White Bean Soup with tortellini
- Oven Baked Zucchini Fries via I Heart Vegetables
- Party perfect Veggie Tray with Dip
This has become a lunch box favourite for my husband and I. Such a fresh and colourful salad. Yum!
Woot woot! Thank you Alana!
This is one of the best pasta salads I’ve ever come across. So much more than just a few random chopped veggies and Italian dressing. I highly recommend!
Thank you so much Jessica! So glad you’re loving the recipe!
Looks amazing and so beautiful! If I can’t find orzo, is there any other pasta I can use?
Any small shape will work great! Elbows and ditalini are other favs of mine to use here.