Lemon Orzo Salad

This post may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure.

Lemon orzo salad is a cool refreshing side for light summer meals and potlucks. It features orzo, cherry tomatoes, olives, feta, pine nuts, fresh herbs, and a lemon vinaigrette. Make this easy pasta salad in 30 minutes.

📌 Pin Lemon Orzo Salad

🍋 Why We Love Lemon Orzo Salad

• It’s made with fresh ingredients that are light, healthy and flavorful.
• The lemony vinaigrette makes it bright and refreshing.
• It’s a welcome change-up from a traditional pasta salad.
• You can make it meal by adding veggies like zucchini, asparagus tips, peas or spinach. For protein, add small chunks of chicken breast from a store-bought rotisserie chicken, garlic butter steak bites, small cubes of pan fried ham with golden crisp edges, or chickpeas.
• This lemon orzo salad comes together quickly with minimal effort.

🛒 Ingredients

For the Lemon Vinaigrette

• Lemon: For fresh tangy juice. It brightens the flavor, giving this yummy pasta salad a delightful summery taste.
• Shallot: It gives our dressing a light, sweet and delicate flavor. We use it instead of onion to avoid an overpowering sharp onion taste, or an intense tangy bite.
• Garlic: Adds a traditional taste to the vinaigrette. Instead of mincing it we grate it so it will incorporate smoothly into the dressing.
• Dijon Mustard: Adds a bit of tang while helping to emulsify the vinaigrette. I prefer the type of dijon made with chardonnay.
• Fresh Thyme: Adds a bit of freshness to the mixture. It has a minty, earthy flavor with a touch of savory/sweet.
• Olive Oil: Provides structure for the vinaigrette. For the best flavor, use a good-quality olive oil. When prepping the dressing mixture, drizzle it in slowly to it can incorporate smoothly into the vinaigrette.
• Fine Kosher Salt: After doing a taste test of the lemon vinaigrette, add a pinch of salt – only if needed. If you don’t have fine kosher salt on hand, use fine table salt instead.

For the Orzo Salad

• Orzo Pasta: Is a short-cut pasta that looks like large grains of rice. At the market, look for it in the pasta section. If you can’t find it, feel free to substitute with ditalini, star-shaped pastina, or orecchiette pasta.
• Cherry Tomatoes: Contribute freshness with their sweet, juicy flavor. They also add a pop of beautiful color. I stick with bright-red tomatoes, but feel free to use a mix of small multi-color tomatoes.
• Kalamata Olives: Rich and fruity, they add a bright briny flavor to the lemon orzo salad.
• Feta Cheese: Salty and tangy, it contributes a creamy delicious taste and texture. But goat cheese and Cotija cheese work well too. For a vegan salad, use a vegan option like Violife “Just Like Feta.”
• Toasted Pine Nuts: Soft and nutty, they add richness and crunchiness that greatly enhance the orzo pasta salad.
• Freshly-ground Black Pepper (Optional): Adds an earthy rustic taste and aroma with a touch of heat.
• Fresh Herbs: I favor (2 tablespoons) fresh basil and (1 teaspoon) fresh oregano for this pasta salad, but (2 tablespoons) Italian parsley and (1 teaspoon) thyme also works well. Or feel free to use your favorite combination of fresh herbs.

📖 Recipe Steps

RECIPE PREP: Salt a large pot of water until it tastes like the ocean. Bring it to a boil on stovetop. In the meantime, start prepping the dressing.

1. Assemble the lemon vinaigrette. Add lemon juice, minced shallot, and grated garlic to a medium mixing bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
2. Whisk in the dijon mustard and thyme. Slowly add in the olive oil, whisking constantly until the dressing is completely emulsified. Do a taste test. If needed, add a pinch of salt. Set the vinaigrette aside until ready to use.
3. Add the orzo to the pot of boiling water. Cook it according to package directions – until al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander, then transfer it to a large bowl. Pour the lemon vinaigrette over the pasta. Toss to combine. Set the bowl aside for a few minutes to let the orzo shed heat. (We don’t want to melt the feta or wilt the fresh herbs.)
4. Once the pasta is cool to the touch it’s time to assemble the lemon orzo salad. Add the cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, and pine nuts.

1. Toss to combine. If desired, you can add a few twists of freshly-ground black pepper. Garnish the dish with fresh herbs and it’s ready to serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate.

🧑🏼‍🍳 Recipe FAQ

These are the most commonly-asked questions for making the tastiest lemon orzo salad, and the most helpful answers for recipe success.

🥗 More Refreshing Salads

When the weather heats up, we’re all looking for light, healthy, refreshing meal options. These summer salads all fit the bill. Add them to your monthly meal-plan rotation. Take them to a summer potluck.

• Cold Spaghetti Salad
• Summer Pasta Salad with Veggies
• Cucumber Salad
• Watermelon Arugula Salad
• Watergate Salad
• Strawberry Spinach Salad
• Tropical Fruit Salad
• Chinese Chicken Salad

Rate This Recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Flavor testers rated this the best-tasting lemon orzo salad. They enjoyed the bright lemon flavor and the delicious texture of the pasta and veggies. They loved how the herbs in the mixture added freshness and a pop of color.

If you agree this recipe’s a keeper, give it a 5-star rating in the comments. Then be a recipe hero. Share it with friends. 📌 Pin it to Pinterest.

Print

Lemon Orzo Salad 👉🏻 Join the Convo

Do you look forward to cool pasta salads during the hot summer months? Are you excited to make this orzo salad with lemon? Share your thoughts on this easy recipe in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you.