Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

The bold, fresh flavors of Greek food are my favorite for a hot summer night and this Greek Orzo Salad does the trick nicely. Loaded with tender orzo and crisp veggies, dressed with a tangy and bright dressing, this is one of our go-to side dishes.

Course Salad

Cuisine Greek

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Chill Time 2

Total Time 2 25

Servings

Calories 338kcal

Author Karly Campbell

Ingredients

8 ounces orzo pasta
3/4 cup prepared Greek dressing divided
½ cup prepared tzatziki sauce
½ large red onion finely diced
1 large tomato chopped
1/2 English cucumber chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 yellow bell pepper chopped
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup black or kalamata olives sliced
¼ cup fresh dill roughly chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Instructions

Bring a medium pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add orzo pasta and cook according to package directions, about 9 minutes. Drain pasta and rinse under cold water until pasta is mostly cooled, but still slightly warm.
Add cooked orzo to a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the dressing while pasta is still a bit warm. Toss to coat.
Add all of the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine.
Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Toss just before serving, adding extra dressing if needed.

Notes

Ditalini, rotini, or bowtie pasta would all make a fine substitute for the orzo.

To make for a more mellow flavored onion, soak the diced red onion in ice water for 10 minutes before adding to the pasta salad.

We prefer our homemade Greek dressing, but store-bought will work fine as well. Just taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

We're using black olives here, but kalamata olives are a more traditional option. We've just been having a hard time finding them lately.

We usually end up adding a bit more dressing and feta after chilling in the fridge. The orzo soaks up some of the dressing as it chills and we like lots of feta.

Nutrition