Greek Orzo Salad
Greek Orzo Salad with Feta is a light pasta salad full of tender orzo, cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, diced cucumber, and feta cheese all tossed in homemade Greek dressing.
If you’re looking for a light lunch that’s packed with flavor, our simple Greek orzo salad is right up your alley!
It’s full of fresh flavors and is perfect for meal prep a couple days ahead of time.
Several years ago, John made this Greek pasta salad for me, and it quickly became a favorite.
From there, we’ve added a Greek yogurt marinated chicken breast to make it a Greek chicken pasta salad, and that’s also amazing!
I decided to see if I could lighten the original recipe up a bit by using tender orzo in place of the larger pasta noodles, and it turned out great.
This orzo salad is packed with fresh tomatoes, briny olives, crunchy cucumbers, and salty feta tossed in our Greek Dressing.
It’s perfect for BBQs, summer picnics, and makes a delicious side dish.
How to make Greek Orzo Salad:
See the recipe card below for the ingredient amounts and full instructions.
- If using a homemade dressing, make it first then set it aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the orzo according to the package instructions. Drain the orzo, rinse in cold water, and transfer to a large bowl.
- Add tomatoes, olives, cucumber, onion, and cheese to the cooked orzo.
- Drizzle with Greek salad dressing. Then, toss to combine.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy chilled!
Orzo Salad Tips and Variations:
- Since orzo is a type of pasta noodle not rice, so there’s no pre-rinsing required. Simply cook it according to the package directions then rinse in cool water to stop the cooking process.
- Can’t find an English cucumber? Use a slicing cucumber instead. You’ll want to peel it and remove the seeds ahead of time. The skin on a slicing cucumber is rather thick and the seeds make this pasta salad watery over time.
- Use as much or as little dressing as you’d like. The same goes for the feta cheese!
Storage Options:
Refrigerator: Store leftover Greek orzo salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You’ll want to make extra dressing or save some dressing to “freshen up” the pasta salad leftovers.
There’s no need to reheat since this pasta salad is served cold.
Freezing is not recommended.
What other salad dressings can you use on this Greek orzo pasta salad recipe?
We love the flavor of zingy Greek dressing, but there are other options. Here are a few:
- Red Wine Vinaigrette.
- Tzatziki Sauce.
- Homemade Lemon Vinaigrette.
- Lemon Basil Vinaigrette.
- White Wine Vinaigrette.
Can you add protein to this Greek orzo salad?
Yes, there are several protein variations that you can add to our easy Greek orzo salad recipe. Add the protein of your choice to make this pasta salad a full meal.
Here are some of our favorites:
- Thinly sliced steak.
- Baked chicken breast.
- Leftover rotisserie chicken.
- Tofu for a vegetarian option.
- Baked lemon shrimp.
How do you keep leftover pasta salad from drying out?
Greek orzo salad tends to dry out a bit the longer it’s stored. Keep a little extra salad dressing on hand to add to leftover pasta salad if it appears dried out.
What other ingredients can you add to Greek orzo salad?
There are plenty of fresh veggies to use if you’d like to make a veggie-packed pasta salad. Diced red bell peppers, artichoke hearts, black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and green bell peppers are some ideas.
Top off the salad with sprigs of mint, oregano or thyme leaves, or torn basil. A spritz of fresh lemon juice also works well.
Ingredients
Dressing:
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Salad:
- 8 ounces orzo, uncooked
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- 6 ounces feta, crumbled
- ½ English cucumber, large in size, cut into bite sized pieces
- ½ cup purple onion, diced
Instructions
To Make the Dressing
- Place all the ingredients into a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake vigorously to combine. Taste, and adjust the vinegar, olive oil or seasonings to taste.⅓ cup red wine vinegar⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil2 garlic cloves1 tablespoon lemon zest1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano1 teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Set aside until ready to use. You may need to shake the jar again to remix the ingredients prior to pouring onto the pasta salad.
To Make the Pasta Salad
- Cook the orzo according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cool water, and drain again. Transfer the orzo to a large bowl.8 ounces orzo
- Add the tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, cucumber, and purple onion. Drizzle with Greek dressing, and toss to combine.1 pint cherry tomatoes1 cup kalamata olives6 ounces feta½ English cucumber½ cup purple onion
- Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy cold.
- Scroll up and see the post for tips, FAQs, and storage options.
Notes
- The calories listed are an approximation based on the ingredients in the recipe card and a serving size of 1.25 cups of orzo salad. Actual calories will vary.