This Italian Orzo Salad is one of my favorite salad recipes. It is clever because the orzo cooking water slightly cooks the salad veggies when it is poured over them in a strainer. This is really good if, like me, you don’t like completely raw ingredients in your salad.
Start by preparing the veggies. Cook the orzo in a large saucepan. Drain the orzo over the veggies in a strainer to slightly cook them. Rinse the contents of the strainer and drain. Place all the ingredients in a big bowl once drained. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well before serving.
To make my version of Italian Orzo Salad, you will need the following ingredients:
Wash and slice 2 cups of spinach, 1 cup of basil, 2 cups of mushrooms and chop 3 ounces of sun-dried tomatoes. Place these ingredients in the bottom of a pasta strainer.
Cook 16 ounces of orzo by following the package directions.
Drain the orzo by pouring the whole contents of the pot over the veggies in the bottom of the pasta strainer. This will slightly cook them.
Rinse the contents of the strainer and drain. Once drained, place in a large salad bowl. Chill.
Add 1½ cups of chickpeas, ¼ cup of veggie broth or a drizzle of oil and 1 teaspoon each of lemon pepper, garlic powder and thyme. Season to taste with sea salt and mix well.
Pack in jars and serve at your next picnic.
This Italian Orzo Salad is a fantastic accompaniment for your next picnic! Try it out soon and don’t forget to tag #CookMeRecipes if you try this recipe.
Superb orzo salad!
Hice esta ensalada de orzo italiano para una cena con amigos. ¡Quedó deliciosa! Me encantó como los vegetales estaban un poco cocidos. ¡Fácil y sabroso!
Amazing! I prepared this salad for a picnic, and everyone loved it. The orzo makes it filling, and the veggies were perfectly tender. I enjoyed it with friends and can't wait to make it again. Highly recommend!
Sooo good! Made this for a quick lunch and it was delish. I love how the orzo cooks the veggies just enough. Perfect for my taste. I gobbled it up! Will def make again for friends.
This Italian Orzo Salad is exceptional. I made it for a family picnic, and everyone loved it. I was so proud seeing my kids enjoy healthy food. Such a clever recipe.
Man, this Italian Orzo Salad is top-notch! I whipped it up for a picnic with buds, and they devoured it. The veggies were perfectly cooked, and the orzo just hit different. Def gonna make this again, it's super easy and a total crowd-pleaser!
Simply delish! Made this for my buddies last weekend and they went nuts! The orzo gives it this smooth vibe that just hits right. I'm def makin’ it again for the next football game. Totally a win!
Superb salad, easy prep and tasty too. Made it yesterday.
Superb orzo salad
Exquisite! I made this salad for my picnic last week, and everyone loved it! The subtle cooking of the veggies made it perfect. Can't wait to make it again.
Hice esta ensalada de orzo italiano para una cena familiar y fue un gran éxito. La mezcla de sabores es espectacular y me encanta que no es difícil de hacer. A mis hijos les encantó, ¡y eso es un gran logro! Definitivamente lo haré otra vez, es genial para esos días calurosos.
Delicious! Made this for a picnic, and everyone loved it!
I made this Italian Orzo Salad for a picnic and everyone loved it! The way the orzo warms the veggies is genius. I am not a fan of raw veggies, so this was perfect. It was super easy to prep and tasted amazing. Will definitely make it again.
Totally love it!
Thankful for this recipe. Made it for the family picnic and everyone loved it. The orzo with the veggies is just right, not too raw. It was a hit among the kids who usually don't like salads.
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