Best Greek Orzo Salad with Feta
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This Best Greek Orzo Salad with feta cheese features everything good about one-dish pasta salad: orzo, cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, cucumber, basil, and a tangy, sweet Italian dressing to tie it all together.
If you love one-dish pasta salads, then you’ll also want to make my Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad, my Creamy Italian Spaghetti Pasta Salad, and my Creamy Sweet Macaroni Salad.
Why This Recipe Works
Quick-cooking Orzo: Orzo is a perfect little pasta — it acts like a rice, quickly absorbing up liquid and even has the look and feel of rice. But, it has the bite and taste of pasta (if cooked correctly). If you’re looking for a quick-cooking pasta that also happens to be delicious, you’ll want to give this Greek orzo salad a go!
Simple ingredients — In addition to the orzo, this Greek orzo salad with feta is chock full of flavors and textures you’ll love with halved cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, cucumbers, basil, and spinach, all mixed together with homemade Italian dressing that’s yummy on just about everything.
Great for make-ahead — This orzo salad with feta cheese is an easy dish to whip up in a pinch and is also perfect for potlucks and picnics! Simply make the salad and then leave the dressing separate till you’re ready to serve.
Ingredients
Dry Orzo — Orzo is the best pasta to choose for this recipe. You could also substitute ditalini.
Cherry Tomatoes, Chickpeas, Cucumber — These are my go-to veggies in this Greek pasta salad. Use them all, or just use the ones you love.
Freshly Chopped Basil — There’s just something about fresh basil. But you can skip it if you don’t have it or use dried.
Baby Spinach — For additional nutrition and color, I like to add freshly chopped baby spinach, but this is totally optional.
Italian Salad Dressing — I often use a store-bought Italian such as Wishbone or see below for my recipe)
DIY Italian Dressing:
Olive Oil — Extra virgin olive oil is my go-to.
Red Wine Vinegar — Just a touch of red wine vinegar is all you need in this homemade Italian Dressing.
Honey — Just a touch of honey helps lend a hint of sweetness to this dressing.
Fresh-Squeezed Lemon Juice — I always go for the freshly squeezed lemon juice whenever possible, but you can also use store-bought.
Grated Parmesan Cheese — If you are using a blender to mix the ingredients rather than shaking them all together in a jar, I recommend waiting to put the cheese in till after blending.
Garlic Powder — Gotta have garlic in Italian dressing. Garlic powder mixes into this dressing best.
Italian Blend Dried Herb Seasoning — You can find this in a packet in the same aisle as the dressings.
Here’s How You Make It
For the best Greek orzo salad you’ve ever had, follow the simple directions below.
- Cook the orzo according to package directions, about 8-9 minutes or until tender, then drain and rinse with cold water.
- Next, combine the cooked orzo, tomatoes, chickpeas, cucumbers, basil, and spinach (if using) and toss it all together in a large bowl.
- If you’re serving right away, add the dressing and toss to combine. If you’re serving later, cover the orzo salad and refrigerate until you’re ready to eat it, then toss with dressing just before serving.
To Make the Dressing
If you’re not using store-bought Italian dressing, all you need to do is combine all the dressing ingredients in a jar, screw the lid on and shake vigorously. Alternately, you can whisk or mix with a blender till combined. Keep cold till ready to serve.
FAQs
There is a lot to learn about this little gem of a pasta shape. Allow me to enlighten you with some orzo facts and figures:
– The actual word “orzo” translates to “barley” in Italian. But, nope, no barley in orzo.
– Orzo is typically made from wheat semolina flour.
– Orzo not only looks like risotto rice, but it acts like it too, absorbing the flavors of whatever it’s cooked in.
– There are 200 calories in a 2 ounce serving of orzo.
– You can eat orzo hot or cold.
– Before reheating orzo, it’s best to add a little water or stock and mix it up so that it doesn’t get too dried out.
– Dry orzo contains 7 grams of protein in a third of a cup.
– Orzo makes a good substitution for risotto rice, and vice-versa.
– It only takes about 8-9 minutes to boil a cup of orzo.
– Orzo is not typically gluten free, but you can find gluten-free varieties in your grocery store if you are gluten intolerant.
Orzo pasta salad, like most pasta salads, is easy to customize.
– Cook the orzo in chicken broth instead of water for a heartier flavor.
– Add diced bell peppers to the Italian Orzo Salad. Either cook them for a couple of minutes with the orzo in the pasta pot, or add them raw.
– I like to add cooked, sliced mushrooms to my orzo salad on occasion too.
– Make a Mexican orzo salad by leaving out the cucumbers, chickpeas, and basil, and adding in instead corn, black beans, and cilantro. Instead of Italian dressing, toss with Cilantro Lime Dressing.
– Shred a rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken and add it to the pasta salad to make it more of a meal.
– Feta or goat cheese in this pasta salad would be phenomenal! BRB, gotta go cheese up my salad!
– Speaking of feta, chopped kalamata olives would be a real winner in this orzo salad as well.
Making your own salad dressing is super easy! For this one, I added vinegar, oil, water, honey, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, and spices and seasonings to a mason jar.
From there, all I did was screw on the lid really tight and shake, shake, shake (and maybe do a little dance too, cuz why not) until it was all combined and then poured it over the orzo salad and tossed the whole kit and kaboodle with two salad spoons.
This Italian Orzo Salad will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for three to five days. It’s best kept in a shallow dish to keep big lumps of it from sticking together.
I wouldn’t freeze it. It will be super mushy when you thaw it out. Just make a fresh batch — this orzo salad made fresh is so worth it!
Expert Tips + Tricks
- I like to add kalamata olives and freshly diced avocado to this recipe from time to time.
- If you don’t like or have Italian dressing you can also use a balsamic or red wine vinaigrette.
- Not a fan of feta? Swap the cheese for parmesan or blue cheese.
More Recipes to Try
- Best Easy Italian Green Salad – the easiest and most irresistible salad ever!
- Air Fryer Butternut Squash – a simple side that feels gourmet!
- Mediterranean Salad with Greek Salad Dressing – the fresh, flavor packed side you’ll crave all week!
When you make this recipe, snap a photo and tag me on social – I love connecting with you and seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Best Greek Orzo Salad with Feta
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dry orzo
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ⅔ cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped basil
- ¼ red onion, chopped
- ½ cup packed baby spinach, optional
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 cup Italian salad dressing , (store bought or see below for my recipe)
Italian Dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 teaspoons honey
- 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper, or 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 3 teaspoons Italian blend dried herb seasoning
Instructions
- Place orzo in a pot, cover with water. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil. Cook 8-9 minutes until tender, drain and rinse with cold water.
- In a large bowl combine orzo, tomatoes, chickpeas, cucumbers, basil, onions and spinach (if using) and toss.
- Toss with the dressing to serve immediately, OR cover tightly and chill until ready to serve, then toss with dressing just before serving.
To Make the Dressing
- To make the salad dressing, combine all ingredients in a jar. Screw the lid on tightly, shake vigorously til well blended, then chill until ready to use or pour immediatley over salad and toss.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love this Italian Orzo Salad! Since I’m not a fan of raw onions, I just gently sauté a couple shallots and add it in-yum!
I’m allergic to eggs so I’m always tasked with bringing mayo-free pasta salad to family gatherings. This is my favorite of all the recipes I’ve tried! Perfection.
I’m so glad you enjoy it! 🙂
Delicious! Skipped the chickpeas and spinach and used green onions and bottled dressing.