Orzo salad with feta

Orzo salad with feta and chickpeas is a Mediterranean-style vegetarian pasta salad. This picnic-perfect salad is packed with crunchy vegetables, creamy feta, chickpeas, and tossed in a simple homemade lemony dressing. This quick salad gets ready in just 20 minutes and is delicious!

Looking for easy yet delicious pasta salad recipes to try this summer? Try this Greek orzo salad with feta and chickpeas.

Bursting with flavors, this salad can be prepared in just 20 minutes from start to finish.

It's perfect for picnics and potlucks.

You can also enjoy this vegetarian orzo salad as a meal in itself.

What's orzo?

Orzo is a short-cut pasta that's shaped like rice grains. It's also known as risoni.

What's needed to make orzo feta salad?

To make Greek-style orzo pasta salad, you will need the ingredients shown below:

Ingredient notes and substitute suggestions

• Orzo: Orzo is used to make this pasta salad. If you don't have that, use any other short-cut pasta to make this recipe.
• Chickpeas: I used home-cooked chickpeas as I prefer their taste. You can use canned chickpeas too. Rinse canned chickpeas before using. You can also use other beans of your choice like cannellini beans or kidney beans.
• Walnuts: Feel free to use any nut of choice like pine nuts or almonds.
• Dill: I love using fresh dill in my Greek salads, you can also use fresh parsley, basil, or cilantro.
• Feta cheese: Vegans may skip feta in this recipe. This salad tastes great even without feta.
• Italian seasoning: If you don't have mixed Italian seasoning, mix red chili flakes, dried basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. Use this seasoning blend in the recipe.
• Sweetener: Adding a sweetener balances all the flavors of the salad. I have used maple syrup, you can also add honey, agave syrup, or brown sugar.

How to make (step by step process)?

Step 1: Cook orzo al dente as per the instructions given on its' packet.

Step 2: Strain the pasta and rinse with cold water. Allow the orzo to reach room temperature.

Step 3: Transfer to a large bowl.

Step 4: Prepare the salad dressing in a bowl by mixing lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, maple syrup, minced garlic, and Italian seasoning.

Step 5: Put all the ingredients in a bowl.

Step 6: Pour salad dressing.

Step 7: Gently toss.

Step 8: Add crumbled feta cheese before serving.

Your lemony Greek-style orzo salad with feta and chickpeas is ready to be enjoyed!

How to serve?

This Greek orzo feta salad can be served as a salad as well as a meal. It can be served warm or cold.

Some of the dishes that can be paired with it are gyros, grilled vegetables, roasted potatoes, grilled corn on the cob, sauteed green beans, sandwiches, burgers, and soup.

How to store the leftovers?

To store, refrigerate the leftover orzo salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Recipe tips and tricks

• This salad can serve around 8 people if served as a side dish.  However, if you want to have it as a meal then it will serve around 4-5 people.
• Cook orzo al dente. If you overcook the orzo, it will turn mushy in the salad.
• Allow the pasta to reach room temperature before adding the herbs and vegetables otherwise they will get cooked. However, don't let it get cold completely as orzo will absorb the flavors better when still warm.
• Add feta only before serving.
• Toss pasta gently otherwise, it will break.
• You can use any short pasta to make this recipe.

Frequently asked questions

More vegetarian Greek recipes

Looking for more easy vegetarian Greek recipes? Don't miss checking the following links:

1. Watermelon feta salad
2. Black-eyed peas and feta salad-Greek style
3. Greek potato salad
4. Tzatziki (Greek yogurt dip)
5. Greek spaghetti
6. Spanakorizo (Greek spinach rice)
7. Revithosoupa (Greek chickpea soup)
8. Fasolada (Greek white bean soup)