Lemon Orzo Salad is packed with vibrant and refreshing flavors, giving the best tangy citrus and savory goodness that satisfies everyone. Make this family-friendly side dish in just 20 minutes, perfect on a hot summer day
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Why this Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad Recipe is a Keeper
Lemon orzo salad is perfect for summer because it is simple and delicious. This orzo pasta salad recipe is so light and refreshing. It is always ready to serve in no time because of its simplicity. Easy orzo uses fresh lemon juice, red onion, corn, and fresh parsley — creating the best results ever.
- 20-Minute Meal: Make this salad with orzo pasta in just 20 minutes.
- Easy Ingredients: Easy and delicious ingredients found in your pantry or even your garden.
- Family Friendly: Everyone loves this recipe because it is so tasty and easy to eat. The salad recipe along with my broccoli salad is a perfect dish for cookouts and picnics.
- Adaptable: This salad can include meat or other veggies easily.
- Makes Great Leftovers: This orzo pasta salad is a perfect leftover for the next day.
If you’re looking for more inspired recipes, try these Easy Parmesan Orzo, Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad, and Bacon Pasta Ranch Salad.
Is Orzo Rice or is it Pasta?
Even though it looks like rice, it’s actually made from semolina flour, just like other pasta varieties.
Ingredient Notes for Lemon Orzo Salad
This is such a quick and easy meal or this recipe is a perfect side dish.
- Orzo: Orzo shines in chilled salads with vibrant vegetables and tangy dressings, adding an unexpected twist to traditional pasta salads. You can really use a cute small pasta shape.
- Lemon: Lemon adds a juicy, acidic flavor for pure deliciousness. Lemon zest adds even more freshness. Lemon zest and juice add tons of freshness to this summer salad with orzo.
- Fresh Parsley: Fresh parsley has a clean, peppery taste with an earthy flavor, so it adds even more depth to this orzo lemon pasta salad.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Variations and Substitutions Easy Lemon Orzo Salad Recipe
Anything goes for this lemon orzo pasta salad. You can even add chickpeas if you want to — so yum!
- Olives: Manzanilla or Kalamata olives are great substitutes to use because they are so popular to use in pasta dishes.
- Orzo Salad with Feta Cheese: Goat cheese or tangy crumbled feta cheese is a great addition to this pasta salad because of its richness and bold flavor.
- Fresh Herbs: You can use lots of fresh herbs like fresh dill and fresh basil because this recipe is easy and versatile. Salt and Pepper.
- Different Vegetables: English cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and other vegetables are amazing in this pasta salad because of the different crunch and flavors. Try sweet peas or asparagus on the grill. And one lemon.
- Nuts: Pine nuts are a wonderful addition to the orzo pasta salad recipe.
Orzo Salad with Feta Pro Tip
Don’t overcook the orzo! Aim for al dente, meaning cooked but still slightly firm to the bite. Overcooked orzo becomes mushy and loses its pleasant texture.
How to Make Lemon Orzo Salad
This is my favorite salad. So much nicer than the standard pasta salad. This kind of salad is perfect for fancy parties due to its wonderful grilled vegetables and lemony dressing. So much more impressive than potato salad.
These are the basic steps for making lemon orzo pasta salad. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.
1. Cook your Orzo to Al Dente and Drain the Orzo
First, bring a large pot of water to a boil with some salt and add the orzo and cook. Cook the pasta until al dente. Then, when the orzo is cooked, drain orzo and set aside the hot orzo to cool.
2. Grill
Second, heat the grill to medium. Then, coat the corn, pepper halves, and onion with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and place them on the grill. Cook, flipping occasionally, until they are lightly browned on all sides.
3. Cut the Vegetables
Once done, take the vegetables off the grill and allow them to cool slightly so you can chop them next. Next, proceed by cutting the kernels off the cob and veggies into pieces that are equivalent in size to the kernels.
4. Combine Ingredients and the Lemon Vinaigrette
In a large bowl, combine the orzo, chopped vegetables, parsley, lemon juice, and remaining olive oil so it is all evenly coated. Finally, add all-purpose seasoning. Chill until ready to serve this easy orzo salad recipe.
Favorite Pasta Salad Recipe FAQs
Yes. Even though cold orzo salad is typically served cold You can make this orzo salad can be eaten warm or hot. This salad recipe is perfect.
Yes. A clean pasta surface allows the dressing to adhere better, ensuring even flavor distribution. It will also stop the cooking process.
Make your own basting oil. Use four tablespoons of olive oil & 1/2 teaspoon of all purpose seasoning to replace the basting oil. Set aside until ready to use.
Of course, you can use a vegan feta cheese or salad dressing without any dairy proteins.
Expert Recipe Tips to Love this Recipe for Lemony Orzo
Cook the orzo to perfection to create a delicious salad that is quick and easy to make. This lemony orzo recipe is perfect for summer. Just follow these recipe tips to make this orzo and lemon dressing amazing.
- Heartier Salad: Turn this side pasta salad into the main course and add protein like grilled chicken, steak, or salmon. Crumbled bacon bits are a perfect topper for this lemony orzo pasta.
- Short Cut Tip: Instead of squeezing fresh lemon, use bottled lemon juice to quickly squeeze flavor into this pasta salad.
- Vegetables: This great recipe can be enhanced by baby spinach and arugula and grape tomatoes. Use other vegetables such as olives or mushrooms.
What to Serve with Lemon Orzo Recipe
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Lemon Orzo Salad
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Ingredients
- 1 cup Orzo, cooked and drained
- 1 ear Corn, husked
- 1 Bell pepper, any color, halved and seeded
- ½ Red onion, peeled and cut into thick rings
- 3 tablespoons Olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Wegmans basting oil
- 1 Lemon, juiced
- 2 tablespoons Fresh parsley, minced
- ½ teaspoon All-purpose seasoning
Instructions
- First, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil.
- Second, add the orzo and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes (according to box instructions). Rinse and drain.
- Then, heat the grill to medium.
- Next, coat the corn, pepper halves, and onion with 2 teaspoons of oil and place them on the grill.
- Cook, flipping occasionally, until they are lightly browned on all sides, which should take approximately 10 minutes.
- Then, once done, take the vegetables off the grill and allow them to cool slightly.
- Next, proceed by cutting the kernels off the cob and dicing the peppers and onions into pieces that are equivalent in size to the kernels.
- In a large bowl, combine the orzo, chopped vegetables, parsley, lemon juice and remaining olive oil so it is all evenly coated.
- Finally, add all-purpose seasoning according to your taste preferences. Chill until ready to serve.
Christina’s Notes
- Add Protein: Turn this side pasta salad into the main course and add protein like grilled chicken, steak or salmon.
- Short Cut Tip: Instead of squeezing a fresh lemon, use bottled lemon juice to quickly squeeze flavor into this pasta salad.
- Variation Tip: Add spinach or asparagus to add or substitute to this easy lemon orzo.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
I just love orzo. One of my favorite pastas.
Looks yummy! I love Orzo. I’d probably add a little Balsamic vinegar, just for a bite!
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What other veggies would I add? Well, I would probably ditch the corn and add lots of other stuff – eggplant, zucchini, maybe even tomato! This salad looks great – I love the idea of grilling the veggies – I always forget to try doing that!
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Looks fantastic! We had orzo the other night and I’m still kicking myself for not making it more often.