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Greek Orzo Salad

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This simple Greek Orzo Salad is packed with all of your favorite Greek flavors! Tender orzo, crunchy cucumbers and red onion, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives and salty feta cheese all tossed together in a red wine vinaigrette. It’s perfect for lunch, dinner and will be a hit at summer barbecues!

Greek Orzo Salad with tomatoes, olives and cucumbers in a round serving bowl with spoons and a bowl of vinaigrette behind it.This recipe and photos have been updated since the original post on 2/17/2014

Greek and Mediterranean food really need to have their own category here on the blog. I’ve made so many recipes inspired by this cuisine that I’ve lost count. Some of my favorite recipes, aside from this Greek Orzo Salad are, Greek Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce, Skillet Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice and this Mediterranean Lentil Salad.

I love everything from the fresh herbs and vegetables, the acidic, salty and briny flavors and the fact that I don’t feel stuffed and sluggish after eating these meals. Today I’m adding this Greek Orzo Salad into the mix. It’s different from a lot of pasta salads in that it’s fresh and doesn’t feel heavy. It’s a great option to serve this summer!

Greek orzo salad made with tomatoes, cucumber, feta, olives and red onion in a round white serving bowl with a small gray bowl of vinaigrette behind it.

Ingredients to Make the Greek Orzo Salad

  • Orzo, regular, whole wheat or gluten free can be used.
  • English or Persian cucumber
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Red onion
  • Kalamata olives
  • Feta cheese
  • Flat leaf parsley
  • Red wine vinegar
  • Dijon mustard
  • Dried oregano and garlic powder
  • Honey

Closeup photo of Greek orzo salad with tomatoes, olives, cucumber, feta, red onion and parsley.

How to Make the Salad

  1. Cook the orzo according to package instructions. Once it’s cooked, rinse it under cold water and drain. Generally I never rinse pasta, unless it’s for a cold pasta salad.
  2. While the orzo cooks chop all of the vegetables and parsley and put them in a large serving bowl. 
  3. Whisk together all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette.
  4. Pour the cooled orzo into the serving bowl with the vegetables. Add in the feta and pour in the vinaigrette. Stir everything together until it’s combined and serve. 

Greek Orzo Salad with tomatoes, olives and cucumbers in a round serving bowl with spoons next to it a bowl of vinaigrette and dish towel behind it.

Can I Make the Salad Ahead of Time? 

Yes. The salad can be made in advance, but I would wait to add in the vinaigrette or make extra vinaigrette. Pasta absorbs dressing and sauces the longer it sits, so you may find it needs more the next day. 

Closeup photo of Greek orzo salad with tomatoes, olives, cucumber, feta, red onion and parsley in a white serving bowl with spoons in the bowl.

Substitutions for Orzo

If you don’t have orzo or can’t find it at the store, I recommend substituting with another small shaped pasta. Ditalini, macaroni, small shells or even Israeli couscous would all be good substitutions. 

As I mentioned above, this Greek Orzo Salad is wonderful for a vegetarian lunch or dinner and is an easy dish to make for barbecues, potlucks, etc. If you want to make the salad heartier, I suggest adding diced chicken or a can of chickpeas to it. This salad will serve 4 as a main dish or 6 as a side dish. 

Greek orzo salad Pinterest collage with overhead photo of salad on top and closeup of the salad on the bottom.

More Orzo Salad Recipes

Summer Vegetable Orzo Salad overhead photo in black bowl with limes on the sideSummer Vegetable Orzo Salad

Shrimp Orzo Salad with Feta and Herbs with spoons in white serving bowl.Shrimp Orzo Salad with Feta and Herbs

Spinach Orzo Chicken Salad with Goat Cheese in a white serving bowl with basil leaves and yellow tomatoes next to it.Spinach Orzo Chicken Salad with Goat Cheese

Greek Orzo Salad with tomatoes, olives and cucumbers in a round serving bowl with spoons next to it a bowl of vinaigrette and dish towel behind it.

Greek Orzo Salad

Yield: 4-6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 28 minutes

Ingredients

Salad

  • 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
  • 1 English cucumber, diced (Persian cucumbers work too)
  • 1/3 cup diced red onion
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 3 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
  • 1/3 cup chopped kalamata olives
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Vinaigrette

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook the orzo until al dente. Rinse and drain the orzo under cold water then pour it into a large serving bowl. Add the remaining salad ingredients in with the orzo.
  2. Whisk together all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette and pour over the salad. Stir together until everything is coated in the vinaigrette. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 364Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 365mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 4gSugar: 9gProtein: 11g
© Danae Halliday
Category: Salad
 

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