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Orzo Salad

Orzo salad with lemon vinaigrette is a light Mediterranean pasta salad featuring tiny rice-shaped orzo tossed with crunchy cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, and lots of fresh parsley and mint. Chilled for at least an hour, it tastes bright and refreshing with a simple olive oil–lemon dressing.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Orzo pasta
  • 1 lb orzo pasta
Vegetables and herbs
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup cucumber, diced
  • 0.5 cup red onion, finely diced
  • 0.25 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 0.25 cup fresh mint, chopped
Lemon vinaigrette
  • 0.25 cup olive oil
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 lemon zest
  • 2 garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper to taste
Topping (optional)
  • feta cheese for topping Optional; add to taste.

Method
 

Cook and cool the orzo
  1. Cook the orzo according to package directions until tender, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
Make the lemon vinaigrette
  1. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt, and pepper until evenly combined and glossy.
Assemble the salad
  1. Combine the orzo, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, parsley, and mint in a large bowl and toss gently so herbs are evenly distributed.
Dress and chill
  1. Pour the lemon vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat everything, then spread it back into an even layer for better flavor contact.
  2. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour so the pasta absorbs the dressing and the vegetables stay crisp.
Serve
  1. Top with crumbled feta if desired and serve chilled, with visible herbs and colorful vegetables on top.

Notes

For best texture, rinse the orzo with cold water and chill before serving—this keeps the vegetables crunchy and prevents the pasta from softening further. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; the salad can be frozen only if you omit the cucumber (best without freezing). Optional swap: use dairy-free feta (or omit feta entirely) for a vegetarian-but-lighter finish.