Lemon Orzo Salad

Dotted with sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, marinated artichoke hearts, and tangy feta, this delicious Greek-inspired lemon Orzo Salad comes together quickly with just a handful of ingredients.

Assemble this orzo pasta salad in less than 30 minutes! Serve it as a vegetarian main dish or hearty side to grilled chicken or fish. It’s super tasty as part of a salad buffet alongside other Summer Salads.

Probably the simplest pasta salad recipe you’ll ever make, this Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad is a fan favorite. It’s so quick and easy, you’re going to want to take a large bowl of it to all your backyard potlucks this summer.

Grab just a handful of ingredients from the pantry and fridge and you’ll be ready to go in less than half an hour!

Why Make This

The ingredient list is short. This easy lemon orzo salad boasts just a handful of ingredients, but it’s packed with amazing Mediterranean flavor: sweet sun-dried tomatoes and the extra virgin olive oil they’re preserved in, salty kalamata olives, marinated artichoke hearts, tangy feta cheese crumbles, fresh basil, and fresh lemon juice.

It’s easy to make this lemon orzo salad. One of the tricks is that you use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes and the marinade from the artichoke hearts as the dressing for the salad. Doh! Of course! Since they’re good enough to marinate veggies in, they’re good enough to dress your salad. So, avoid waste as well as the effort of making an extra dressing!

It’s very make-ahead. This lemon orzo salad lasts well in the fridge for days. Make it as a lunchtime meal prep for the week or make it in the cool of the morning so you can avoid the kitchen at dinner time.

It’s delicious! Seriously, this lemon orzo salad is a party in your mouth. Basically, you’re going to love how the flavors go so well together and won’t be able to stop eating it!

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this Lemon Orzo Salad:

orzo pasta – Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta that you cook just like other noodles. You can use another small pasta if that’s what you have on hand, but keep in mind that you may need to adjust the seasoning as different size pasta absorbs sauce differently.

kalamata olives – These are salty black olives that really add some punch to the pasta salad. If you prefer a less salty dish, use ripe black olives instead.

feta cheese crumbles – Feta is a salty crumbly cheese. You can use goat cheese crumbles or parmesan if you’d like something less salty.

marinated artichoke hearts – You can find marinated artichoke hearts in jars in the canned vegetable aisle of the grocery store. The marinade is going to add flavor to the pasta. If plain artichokes is all you have or can find, you’ll want to add a vinaigrette to the Lemon Orzo Salad.

julienned sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil – These tomatoes are already sliced bite-sized and come packed in a seasoned olive oil. Use this oil to add flavor to the Lemon Orzo Salad. If you have dry packed tomatoes, add extra virgin olive oil to taste.

fresh basil – Fresh basil elevates the canned and bottled ingredients and brings them to life. You can use other fresh herbs such as parsley, mint, or oregano if you like. If you’ve got a lot of basil to use up, be sure to make a batch of Easy 3-Ingredient Basil Sauce to freeze.

fresh lemon – You’re going to want the lemon zest as well as the juice to add lemony flavor to the salad. Remember you can Freeze Lemons: Zest & Juice if you’ve got extra you don’t want to waste.

Variations

Feel free to add other vegetables to the salad, such as chopped spinach, asparagus, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, or fresh cherry tomatoes. You can also stir in garbanzo beans if you like as well as chopped pine nuts or pistachios.

If you need to make it gluten free lemon orzo salad, look for Delallo or De Cecco brands as they both make gluten-free options.

Step-by-Step Instructions

You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to make this Lemon Orzo Salad!

1. 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.
2. Place the orzo in a large mixing bowl. Add the olives, feta, artichoke hearts with their marinade, tomatoes with their oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and the fresh basil. Stir gently to combine. Serve warm, chilled, or at room temperature.

FAQs