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.