Salads are great, but pasta salads? The greatest! This Mediterranean-inspired orzo pasta salad is the ultimate fresh and satisfying side dish. It’s herby, bright, colorful, filled with veggies, and ready in just 30 minutes!
It’s plant-based, optionally gluten-free, and quickly becoming our new favorite salad for BBQs, picnics, or served with grilled protein for a satisfying summer meal. Let us show you how it’s done!
What is Orzo?
Orzo (also called risoni) is a type of pasta with a shape resembling a large grain of rice. It’s traditionally made from wheat flour, but it can be made from other types of grains and gluten-free versions are now available.
Orzo is said to have originated in Italy, but our search for its origin story didn’t reveal much else. It’s also a popular ingredient in Greek cuisine.
How to Make Orzo Pasta Salad
We start by cooking the orzo in a pot of salted water. Salting the water gives the orzo more flavor and is one of our favorite tricks for elevating pasta dishes. After cooking, we drain and rinse the orzo to cool it down, then toss it with a little olive oil to prevent it from sticking together.
Then we transition to the flavorful, lemony dressing. Olive oil is the thick and rich base, lemon juice and zest add big lemon flavor, and the savory notes come from garlic powder, dried Italian herbs, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast. While maple syrup adds sweetness, a little reserved pasta water creates the right consistency to evenly coat the orzo.
Next come the vibrant, crunchy veggies and fresh parsley, plus marinated artichoke hearts and kalamata olives to add swoon-worthy saltiness to every bite!
Lastly, stir in freshly chopped basil just before serving so it retains its vibrant green color.
We hope you LOVE this orzo salad! It’s:
Fresh
Herby
Bright
Colorful
Satisfying
& SO delicious!
We love this salad as a make-ahead lunch, for bringing to picnics and BBQs, or for dinner with grilled protein. It would pair beautifully with our Crispy Baked Tofu with Italian Herbs or Easy Marinated Grilled Chicken (30 Minutes!).
Note: If using a rice-based gluten-free orzo, it’s best to make the salad just before serving because it will harden once it goes in the refrigerator.
More Summery Side Dishes
- Minty Watermelon Cucumber Salad
- Grilled Corn with Sriracha Aioli
- Grain-Free Tabbouleh Salad (6 Ingredients!)
- Simple French-Style Potato Salad
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Mediterranean-Inspired Orzo Pasta Salad
Ingredients
PASTA SALAD
- 8 oz. dry orzo (for gluten-free* we like DeLallo // 8 oz. or 227 g dry yields ~3 cups or 480 g cooked // or sub equivalent amount of farro, bulgar, or barley)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion (1/2 medium onion yields ~1/2 cup or 70 g)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 3/4 cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper (1 medium pepper yields ~3/4 cup or 115 g // or sub red or orange)
- 3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped (we used Native Forest)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley, large stems removed
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, large stems removed
DRESSING
- 2 Tbsp olive oil (plus more for tossing pasta)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice (1 medium lemon yields ~2 Tbsp or 30 ml)
- 2 tsp lemon zest (1 medium lemon yields ~2 tsp zest)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp dried Italian herb seasoning (or sub dried basil + oregano)
- 1/2 tsp each sea salt and black pepper
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 Tbsp pasta water
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to the package instructions. Reserve 1/4 cup (60 ml) of pasta water, drain the pasta, rinse with cold water, and toss with a little olive oil. Set aside to cool.
- While the water boils/pasta cooks, prep the pasta salad ingredients and make the dressing.
- Add the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic powder, maple syrup, Italian herbs, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, and pasta water (once it’s ready) to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add the finely chopped red onion and mix again.
- Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, olives, artichoke hearts, parsley, and cooked orzo to the mixing bowl. Toss well to combine.
- Mix in the basil just before serving. Taste and adjust as needed, adding more salt for overall flavor, lemon juice for brightness, or herbs for freshness. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Not freezer friendly.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with DeLallo gluten-free orzo.
Bry says
Hello. If I make this the night before, should I wait until day of to add the dressing? Or is it okay to dress it the night before?
Hi Bry, it will be fine either way, but we’d recommend keeping it separate for best results. Enjoy! xo
Lisa says
This is a fantastic base recipe! It’s easy to customize which I did only slightly as follows. I doubled the orzo to account for the number of people/guys eating the dish, used all the mix in components in an amount we would like, and I doubled the dressing recipe & used all of it. I just left the nutritional yeast out of the dressing as not everyone is a fan. And, I pulled back on the amount of salt & pepper. Delish! This would be great with a bit of feta thrown in for those aren’t vegan. We’re pescatarian so I served this with marinated & grilled salmon.
Amazing! Thank you so much for sharing, Lisa! xo
Dora says
Made this one last week for meal prep and had it on a bed of lettuce and with halloumi, it was delicious, filling but light, overall wonderful 😋
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Dora! xo
Cedella Janczak says
This is hands down my favorite meal from MB, I always switch up what grain I use (quinoa, orzo, faro, bulgar wheat) and it always comes out so tasty. I love the slight sweetness of the dressing! 11/10 I’ll never grow old of this recipe.
We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe, Cedella! Great idea to swap in other grains. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Jonlyn says
This is the best pasta salad ever! I had to sub agave for the maple syrup and I thought it turned out delicious. I also added some roasted red pepper. It is so pretty and is the perfect combination of zesty and refreshing. Perfect for summer!
I like the dressing so much I think I’ll make more to use on other salads
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Jonlyn. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your addition! xo
Nixie says
So yummy! I had thirds. Looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow.
I love basil but I felt it wasn’t really needed as there is already a lot of flavour. Adored the addition of artichokes though.
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Nixie!
Lexi says
So yummy and PERFECT for spring!! I ended up adding cucumber as well and it was the perfect addition to the salad
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing, Lexi. xo
Becca says
This was so delicious! I didn’t add the nutritional yeast and I accidentally forgot the pasta water, but it was still really good and will definitely make it again.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Becca! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
mary says
This was great! Made it on a very snowy day….we had all the ingredients already in the house. Added some roasted green beans and roasted corn plus a small piece of salmon just because we had it.
Will definitely make again…..very flavorful.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Mary. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Jounayet Rahman says
Without a doubt the best recipe, ever!
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Jounayet. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Jen says
This turned out really beautiful. I went heavy on the artichokes (personal preference) and tossed in a little red wine vinegar bc I thought it needed a little tang (again, preference). I was cooking multiple things at once and didn’t read ahead and tossed the pasta water- improvised by adding a little slurry of cornstarch and water, which worked fine. Farmers market cherry tomatoes, basil and parsley from the garden – lovely summer side dish.
Thank you for sharing, Jen! xo
Natalie says
Think this would still work if I had to eliminate the onion and garlic from the dressing for low FODMAP?
Hi Natalie, it would still be tasty! We’d suggest more herbs and maybe a pinch of asafoetida if you have it. Let us know how you like it!
Christin says
Phenomenal! I just made this and it was super delicious! I used cauliflower rice instead of orzo & it still had lots of flavor. Thank you for another fantastic dinner!
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Christin. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modification! xo
Tracy says
Delicious! I could not find gf orzo pasta anywhere, so I used chickpea pasta. Otherwise, followed recipe exactly, complete with fresh veggies and herbs from my garden. mmmmmm!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Tracy! It was probably extra delicious with garden goodies 😀 Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Terri says
It’s always hard to find a gluten free, vegan dish that I can share with non-vegans. Everyone loved this dish and the directions were easy to follow. I appreciate that you also included the brands that you have used.
Simply delicious!!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Terri. We are so glad everyone enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a star rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Dominique says
SO delicious. Cannot recommend enough!
Lisa B says
I will be making this salad on repeat all summer!!! So good!!
I made it for a party on the beach using Tinkyada GF brown rice pasta shells as I was out of GF orzo. The shells didn’t harden and we enjoyed it just as much the next day. Thanks Dana. It’s a winner!
Yay! We’re so glad it was a success, Lisa! Thank you for sharing! xo
Claire says
Excellent 👌
Anne says
I have this in my refrigerator waiting to take to a picnic tomorrow! I keep sneaking tastes, it’s so fresh and light, the perfect combination of ingredients. All I have to do tomorrow is pick the basil from my garden, chop it up and add it. I think this might be my “go to” dish when I need to bring something to a picnic. If I ever go to a picnic that might not have a lot of vegan food, I’ll throw in a can of chickpeas for extra protein so it can serve as my main meal. Another winner, again!
Megan says
So good! Made this tonight to go with our turkey burgers, it was an excellent side dish Great flavor, easy to follow recipe, no changes. Shared it with my family and plan to make again.
Frau says
Hi ‘m wondering if I could substitute the kalamata with green olives. Just don’t like kalamata!
Sure!
Shelly Schmautz says
AMAZING SALAD. I followed the recipe as I love everything about it. Used Banza Rice made from Chickpea as it’s a FANTASTIC product. Turned out Perfect. This will be my new GOTO Salad. Easy to bring to any function. Make the day before. Cook day prior, refrigerate and add the Banza rice before serving.
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Shelly. Thank you for sharing! xo
Cedella J says
Wow!!! It’s her best recipe! I love kalamata olives, and the dressing is delicious with the nutritional yeast! Thanks so much!! I can’t stop eating it!
Aw, thank you so much for your kind words and lovely review, Cedella! We’re so thrilled you’re enjoying it! xo
Angela says
Why the nutritional yeast component?
Hi Angela, it adds depth of flavor, but you could leave it out, if desired!
Georgette says
We made this last night using farro, it was beyond delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Love that modification, Georgette! Thank you for the wonderful review! xo
Cedella Janczak says
I was going to do it too! Great minds think alike, hope it was tasty!
Ang says
Total hit !!! … even with hubby who does not like pasta! … loved the Mediterranean infusion of flavours … very colouful and a lovely light dressing ( did not use the Nutritional Yeast component ).
I did not have the fresh herbs so used frozen spinach balls for greens that I panfried together with the red onion … before adding into the Orzo. Thank you for another great salad!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Ang! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Donna says
What can I replace the artichoke with? I don’t usually have that on hand.
Hi Donna, we’d suggest increasing the olives and tomatoes to account for the artichoke hearts, they’ll add a similar sweetness and “tang”. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Dan Lawton says
I would try marinated mushrooms.