Dotted with sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, marinated artichoke hearts, and tangy feta, this delicious Greek Orzo Salad comes together quickly with a handful of ingredients.
Grilling season is in full swing around here which means we cook some hearty proteins on the grill and supplement with yummy salads on the side. This past week, I made the BEST grilled chicken I think I’ve ever made. Cajun Spice Blend on thawed chicken tenders made for a simple quick and easy main dish.
On the side: probably the simplest pasta salad you’ll ever make. This Greek Orzo Salad is my new favorite. It’s so quick and easy, you’re going to want to take it to all your backyard potlucks this summer.
This orzo salad boasts just a handful of ingredients, but it’s packed with amazing Mediterranean flavor: sweet sundried tomatoes, salty kalamata olives, marinated artichoke hearts, and tangy feta cheese crumbles.
I can’t take all the credit for the recipe. It was one that Trader Joe’s was handing out for samples this past weekend. It’s so simple, you’ll be shocked and amazed.
One of the tricks is that you use the oil from the sundried tomatoes and the marinade from the artichoke hearts as the dressing for the salad. Doh! Of course! If they’re good enough to marinate your veggies in, they’re good enough to dress your salad. Avoid waste and the effort of making an extra dressing.
This is so delicious. I’m enjoying the fact that not all my family are fans of feta cheese. More for me! You could easily swap out the cheese for parmesan, but feta is what makes this Greek Orzo Salad greek. At least in my mind.
Make a batch for your next potluck or BBQ. It’s so quick and easy, you just might want to make it the salad of the season.
Greek Orzo Salad
Dotted with sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, marinated artichoke hearts, and tangy feta, this delicious Greek Orzo Salad comes together quickly with a handful of ingredients.
Preparation Time:10 minutes
Cook time:9 minutes
Total time:19 minutes
8 to 12 servings
Ingredients:
- 16 ounces orzo pasta
- 12 ounce jar kalamata olives
- 6 ounce tub crumbled feta cheese
- 12 ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts
- 8.5 ounce jar julienned sundried tomatoes in olive oil
- fresh basil chiffonade
Instructions:
- In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook the orzo according to package directions until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain, rinse with cool water, and cool.
- Place the orzo in a large mixing bowl. Drain and chop the olives. Add the olives, feta, artichoke hearts with their marinade, tomatoes with their oil, and the fresh basil. Stir gently to combine. Serve warm, chilled, or at room temperature.
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I’m totally gonna make this (after I buy some orzo), although I’ll cut it in half since I’ll probably be stuck eating almost all of it. I’m not a huge fan of sundried tomatoes (I know, apparently I’m weird since everyone else always seems to love them) but I can always pour in a little olive oil and be just fine. Since it is apparently acceptable at any temp, how do you like it best?
A half batch is definitely in order. I couldn’t eat the whole thing. lol!
I made a kind of similar salad last week that turned out really good. No recipe, just tossed in our favorite things. Mine had farro instead of orzo, cherry tomatoes, red onion, green pepper, artichokes (not marinated), a can of rinsed garbanzos, kalamatas, and tons of feta. I made a quick dressing of olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, and a little dijon mustard. We seem to have similar tastes! We really love feta and I always have one of those costco containers in my refrigerator, along with that big jar of kalamata olives.
Sounds delicious!
I had the Trader Joe’s Salad the other day. It was so delicious, that I had to see if anyone copied it. I put baby spinach on my version. It came out very well. Thanks for be posting. ?