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Platter of orzo pasta salad with lemon, cherry tomatoes and chickpeas.
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5 from 2 votes

Lemon Feta Orzo Salad with pine nuts

Lemon Feta Orzo Salad is the perfect side dish to your summer cook out, or a great meal prep for healthy lunches! This colorful lemon orzo salad with pine nuts is loaded with tomato, kalamata olives, bell pepper, artichokes, chickpeas, feta cheese and lots of greens! Full of fresh Mediterranean flavor, it feeds a crowd and is perfect when you can't decide "What should I bring?"
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Mediterranean
Servings: 8
Calories: 283kcal

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup pine nuts toasted
  • cups orzo pasta
  • 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes left whole or sliced in half
  • ½ cup kalamata olives pitted
  • ½ cup artichokes quartered (can or jar)
  • ½ red bell pepper sliced (or a few slices of red onion, or both)
  • ½ cup feta cheese crumbled
  • ¼ cup fresh chopped herbs such as a combination of basil, scallions, parsley, or chives
  • 1 handful arugula or spinach

Dressing

  • 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (half a lemon squeezed) plus lemon wedges to garnish
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 grinds fresh black pepper

Instructions

  • In the pot you plan to boil the orzo, first toast the dry pine nuts over medium heat while watching and stirring a few minutes until golden brown. Reserve in a small bowl, then use the same pot to set water to boil for the orzo. Cook orzo in boiling salted water, about 7 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, add all other ingredients, including the orzo when it's cooked and drained. Orzo can be run under cold water or left hot. The pasta salad can be served warm or cold.
  • Shake dressing together in a small jar with a lid, pour over the pasta salad and mix well. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with toasted pine nuts and lemon wedges.

Notes

  • Cook Pasta al dente, set a timer and don't overcook!
  • Store leftover orzo pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.  Add a bit more lemon juice and olive oil before eating. 
  • Make Ahead - Pasta salad can be made ahead any time during the day if bringing to a party and kept covered in the fridge.  Make the dressing in a jar and mix it into the pasta salad just before serving.  If you add it to the salad right away, it will soak into the orzo and be dry by the time you eat it.  
  • Additions or Substitutions - Omit any veggies you don't like.  Cucumber, jarred peppers or giardiniera, capers, sun-dried tomatoes, sliced red onion, or sliced meats like prosciutto, salami, or pepperoni make great additions.

Nutrition

Calories: 283kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 561mg | Potassium: 322mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 602IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 2mg