Rainbow orzo salad

Vibrant and delicious, this rainbow orzo salad is a picnic-perfect summer salad bursting with colors and flavors. It has a simple refreshing homemade dressing made with ingredients like lemon juice, olive oil, and Dijon mustard. This pasta salad can be consumed by vegans too.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Diet Vegan

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 115kcal

Author Vandana Chauhan

Equipment

1 large salad mixing bowl
1 Large cooking pot
1 Large strainer
Knife and chopping board

Ingredients

1.5 cups uncooked orzo around 250 grams
1 cup cooked sweet corn kernels
1 cup cooked green peas
1 cup finely chopped red cabbage
1 cup finely chopped cucumber use Persian or English cucumber
½ cup finely chopped carrot
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
1 small red onion finely chopped

Ingredients for salad dressing

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice adjust to taste
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro or parsley
2 garlic cloves minced
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 teaspoons dried oregano
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes adjust to taste
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper adjust to taste
Salt to taste

Instructions

Make salad dressing by mixing olive oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, ground black pepper, and salt, in a bowl.
Cook orzo al dente following package instructions. Strain and put in a large bowl.
Add all the chopped vegetables to the bowl.
Pour salad dressing and gently toss. Check and adjust the seasoning.

Video

Notes

Feel free to add more colorful ingredients of your choice to create a rainbow of fresh vegetables and fruits.
If you are adding cucumbers to this salad, use English or Persian cucumbers. If you want to add Indian cucumber, peel it and remove the seeds if they are hard.
This salad can be made with other varieties of pasta too. You can also make rainbow salad using rice, quinoa, couscous, barley, or green lentils instead of orzo.
As the size of orzo is small, cut the vegetables into small pieces too. Even pieces of ingredients make the salad more appealing.
You may also add some maple syrup, agave syrup, honey, or brown sugar to the dressing.
To add a crunch to the salad you can add pepitas, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts, or any other seed or nut of choice.
Non-vegans may also add some crumbled feta cheese to this easy pasta salad.
More recipe tips and tricks are shared in the post above, please follow them to make this dish.

Nutrition