Greek Orzo Salad Recipe - Easy Lunch Recipe

Greek Orzo Salad Recipe is a flavorful, homemade Greek dressing-tossed light pasta salad with tender orzo, cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, sliced cucumber, and feta cheese.

Our straightforward Greek orzo salad is perfect if you're looking for a flavorful light meal.

It is bursting with flavor and ideal for meal preparation a few days in advance.

This Greek pasta salad that John made for me a number of years ago soon became a favorite.

I tried using soft orzo instead of the thicker pasta noodles in the original recipe to see if I could lighten it up a touch, and it worked out beautifully. 

Fresh tomatoes, briny olives, crunchy cucumbers, and salty feta are all mixed into this orzo salad with our Greek Dressing.

It makes a delectable side dish and is ideal for barbecues and summertime picnics.

Ingredients You’ll Need for Greek Orzo Pasta Salad:

Dressing:

• ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves - minced or pressed
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Salad:

• 8 ounces orzo - uncooked
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes - halved
• 1 cup kalamata olives - pitted and halved
• 6 ounces feta - crumbled
• ½ English cucumber - large in size, cut into bite sized pieces
• ½ cup purple onion - diced

How to make Greek Orzo Salad:

1. Make the homemade dressing first, then set it aside if using one.
2. Cook the orzo per the directions on the package in a big pot of boiling water. Orzo should be drained, rinsed in cold water, and then placed in a sizable bowl.
3. To the cooked orzo, add tomatoes, olives, cucumber, onion, and cheese.
4. Add Greek salad dressing by drizzling. Then blend by tossing.
5. Keep chilled until you're ready to serve. Enjoy it cold!

Orzo Salad Tips and Variations:

• There is no need to pre-rinse orzo because it is a pasta noodle and not rice. Cook it as directed on the package, then stop the cooking by rinsing it in cool water.
• Unable to locate an English cucumber? substitute a cucumber for slicing. It should be peeled and the seeds taken out in beforehand. Cucumbers have rather thick skin, and the seeds eventually make the pasta salad watery.
• You can use whether much or how little dressing you want. The feta cheese is the same way!

What other ingredients can you add to Greek orzo salad?

If you want to make a pasta salad that is loaded with vegetables, there are lots of fresh vegetables available. Red bell peppers, green bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, and artichoke hearts are a few examples.

Add sprigs of mint, leaves of oregano, thyme, or torn basil to the salad as a garnish. Fresh lemon juice spritzed on the lips also works great.

How do you keep leftover pasta salad from drying out?

The longer it is kept in storage, the more the Greek orzo salad dries out. If the leftover pasta salad seems to be getting dry, keep a little additional salad dressing on hand to add.