| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 3 hr |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 8 cups |
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest (1 lemon)
- 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 to 3 lemons)
- 1 medium clove garlic, grated
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large red, yellow or orange bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 large seedless English cucumber, watery pulp scooped out and discarded, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
- 1 cup pitted and halved Kalamata olives
- 1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
- 3 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 pound dried orzo
- 6 ounces brine-packed Greek feta, crumbled (optional)
Instructions
- To make the dressing, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the lemon zest and juice, garlic, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Set the dressing aside.
- To make the salad, combine the bell pepper, cucumber, onion, chickpeas, olives, walnuts, mint and parsley in a large mixing bowl.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Stir in 3 tablespoons of salt and a small splash of olive oil. Add the orzo and cook for 7 to 9 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Drain the orzo in a colander, then add it to the vegetable mixture while the orzo is still hot. Immediately pour the dressing onto the orzo and vegetables, and stir to combine. The hot orzo will readily absorb the dressing. Add a splash more olive oil if the salad seems too dry. Allow the salad to cool to room temperature, and add the feta, if desired. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
- Give the salad a stir, then taste and adjust the seasoning before serving, if need be.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 16 servings |
| Calories | 298 |
| Total Fat | 16 g |
| Saturated Fat | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 32 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Protein | 9 g |
| Cholesterol | 9 mg |
| Sodium | 288 mg |
Reviews
Absolutely delicious and easy. This is a forever salad now for entertaining and for just me!!
This is so good paired with GZ’s lamb skewers! I halved the recipe and it still made a huge bowl’s worth. Using the good feta in brine is key!
Delicious!
I made it almost exactly as written. I actually measured everything but I added dill. I couldn’t help myself. I love dill and this recipe just screamed for it. It was delish. At first I thought it was too much lemon but not now. It soaked in and fused throughout. And I love mint too. So this was an herbal, lemony pasta fest. Took it to a bbq on the 4th and there was nothing leftover.
My fiancé loves when I make this !
The salad is amazing
But the tip that flashed across the screen was crazy. It said to rinse your pasta in cold water so that it doesn’t stick. Everyone from Scott Connant to. Jeff Mauro state to NOT rinse your pasta so that your Dressing or sauce(gravy). WILL stick! The fat in you dressing will separate your pasta while sticking to it.
But the tip that flashed across the screen was crazy. It said to rinse your pasta in cold water so that it doesn’t stick. Everyone from Scott Connant to. Jeff Mauro state to NOT rinse your pasta so that your Dressing or sauce(gravy). WILL stick! The fat in you dressing will separate your pasta while sticking to it.
This is delicious, but is so much better room temp than cold. The orzo gets starchy and the lemon zest gets too overwhelming after refrigerating, which was disappointing since it made so much. I was looking forward to eating for several days but it just doesn’t taste the same the next day.
Saw an episode of @thekitchen today and they prepared this salad. We decided to have it tonight with grilled steaks. It was exceptional and super easy. It will be our go to pasta salad for the foreseeable future. Can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow!
Really good, makes a ton! However, I purchased the cookbook specifically for this recipe and it is Not included in the copy I have.
Very different and tasty! Will be making for family gatherings and for us to enjoy at home! We had some marinated cucumbers (Trisha Yearwood’s recipe less the yellow bell pepper) and served those as a side dish. Great combo!