This Lemon Orzo Salad is made with risoni / orzo, tossed through with the fixings of a Greek salad then drizzled with a bright zesty lemon vinaigrette. Serve it with a simple piece of grilled protein – or go all out and use a Greek yoghurt marinated chicken or Souvlaki!
Greek Lemon Orzo Salad (Risoni)
I was going to post a cozy recipe today but it’s a stinking hot day here in Sydney (sorry to rub it in if you’re suffering through winter! 😉 ) and I literally can’t look at a big steaming pot of comfort food to even write up a recipe. So I’m saving it for next week when the weather cools down!
I know it was only last Monday when I posted One Pot Italian Chicken with Risoni (PS Risoni in Australia = Orzo in much of the rest of the world) but I wanted to use up the leftover risoni. I had planned to make a Greek Salad and on a whim, decided to change it up a bit by adding risoni and switching to a slightly thicker dressing. Liked it so much that I went and got another packet of risoni so I could make it again to photograph it.
Now I have more leftover risoni. 🤷🏻♀️ The vicious cycle of life as a food blogger. #FirstWorldProblems
What is risoni?
Risoni is little rice shaped pasta which I adore because a) there is such a high dressing / sauce to pasta ratio compared to other larger pastas and b) it can be eaten with a spoon. What is it about non-soup food that can be eaten with a spoon that makes it so enjoyable? Oh wait – is it just me?
I do note that despite this chatter about you can shovel this down with a spoon, I’ve shot this with a fork. 🙄 Because I added a side of chicken. And in all honesty, 2 seconds after I took this shot, I shoved the chicken to the side, took a small unsatisfying scoop with the fork, then switched straight over to a spoon so I could get a proper mouthful. 😂
This Lemon Orzo Salad is sort of a Greek Salad with orzo added. I say “sort of” because Greek Salad is dressed with a simple dressing made with just red wine vinegar and olive oil. No thickener – you don’t need it when you have chunks of tomato to soak up the dressing.
However, in this case, I decided to use a lemon vinaigrette thickened slightly with mustard so it clings to the little pieces of risoni better. Also, the bright zesty flavour of lemon adds so much to the flavour.
I served this with Greek Yoghurt marinated chicken using my Gyros recipe. If you’ve never tried yoghurt marinated chicken before, you’re missing out! Yoghurt is a sensational secret for flavour and tenderising meat. It’s safer than acids like lemon and vinegar (which can turn meat to mush if over marinated), infuses with more flavour and the chicken comes out beautifully tender.
I have to stop talking about chicken. This post is about the SALAD! And if you try it, tell me what you toss into it! – Nagi x
PS This would also be spectacular dressed with Honey Mustard Dressing, French Vinaigrette or Italian Dressing. Especially the Honey Mustard because it’s so thick, it will make this really indulgent!
PPS Rather than making a separate marinade for the chicken, a time saving tip is to double the dressing recipe and use half to marinate the chicken. If you cut into strips or pound to make it thin, then it only needs 20 minutes or so.
More risoni / orzo recipes
One Pot Italian Chicken Orzo / Risoni Pasta – cosy, saucy one pot chicken and risoni dinner
Orzo / Risoni Bolognaise – one pot bolognese pasta dish!
Creamy Salmon Risoni / Orzo (15 Minute Meal) – tastes like risotto, except MUCH faster to make!
Creamy Mushroom and Spinach Orzo (Risoni) (One Pot) – tastes like a creamy mushroom risotto
Baked Greek Chicken Orzo (Risoni) – Greek chicken AND orzo made in one pot!
One Pot Creamy Chicken, Vegetable & Parmesan Orzo (Risoni) – creamy chicken and vegetable orzo, a quick 20 minute meal
Pea, Zucchini and Pesto Orzo / Risoni – a wonderful quick side dish
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Greek Lemon Orzo Salad (Risoni)
Ingredients
- 1 cup / 200 g risoni / orzo pasta
- 350 g / 12 oz cherry tomatoes , halved (or 2 large tomatoes)
- 2 Lebanese / Persian cucumbers , diced
- 150 g / 5 oz firm feta , cut into 1/2cm/ 1/2″ cubes
- 1/4 – 1/2 red onion , cut into wedges and sliced thinly
- 1 green capsicum/bell pepper , cut into 3 cm / 2.25″ strips (Note 1)
- 150 g / 5 oz whole black olives , seed in (adjust qty to taste)
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
Dressing
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard (or other mild mustard)
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Place Dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well. Set aside for 10+ minutes.
- Cook orzo / risoni per packet directions. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop them cooking further. Drain well.
- Place orzo and remaining Salad ingredients in a bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss gently to coat. Serve!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
Attempt to keep him cool…. He hasn’t quite figured out this whole baby pool thing yet…..
This is FLAWLESS! I am completely obsessed with this. Every. Single. Ingredient. I am addicted to olives & tomatoes. The flavours & the freshness. I skipped the green pepper too.
Hey! I bet your marinated feta would be good in this too! Mmmmmm. Thank you so much Nagi.
OMG what a GREAT idea Josie! I am so glad you enjoyed this, I love it! It’s so refreshing. But wait – isn’t it super cooooold over there???? N xx
It is cold here, yes. I live in a unique region that gets what we call a “chinook”. It’s a First Nations term for what science calls a “fohn wind”. It is a warm wind that is so strong it can “eat” 30 cm of snow in one day. The record holding temperature change, in one day, was from -48 to +9 (celcius).
So, yes it gets cold here. Yesterday was 11C though. Which is REALLY warm for a January day on the Canadian prairies!! Our chinook is leaving though, temperatures are set to plunge again starting today.
I guess I still cook meals like this occasionally during the winter to remind myself that spring is coming!
Yum!!! This is so delicious. Thank you for a lovely simple recipe to make that is so refreshing and full of flavour.
Awesome! Thanks for trying my recipe Jodie, so glad you enjoyed it! N x
Hello Nagi, Dorza needs Biger Bath and i need Biger salad That’s ALL am eating. Love your mango post, beautiful Family. Photos Are picture perfect. SORRY DO NOT AND CAN NOT BELIEVE DOZER EATING MANGO….!! YOU did Not put any vodika on IT, ha, haaa! Regards Vera.
BA HA HA!!! Dozer LOVES mango! And NO of course there is no vodka on it! ? N xx PS Yes Dozer does need a bigger bath….bigger everything. I need a bigger car, bigger bed for him…the list goes ON!
Yummy! Love Greek salad and love orzo! Putting it on my to do list! Love the pic of Dozer! 🙂
Seriously, isn’t Greek salad one of the best salads in this world??? 🙂 Happy weekend Julia! N x
Already planning to live on this all next summer long! My kind of salad!
Signed, Suffering Through Winter!
It’s so stinking hot here I could do with a blast of winter!!! N x
Nagi
It looks fabulous! I have a huge Meyer lemon tree bursting with fruit. Good excuse to make it! By the way no rubbing in the weather. Here in Northern California we are experiencing flooding! The pineapple express won’t turn off!
Enjoy the sunshine.
Laurel
My memory of California is sunshine ALL YEAR ROUND!!!!! 🙂
Looking in horror at the weather forecast for the next week I can see four days over 40 C and the other three just under! No air-conditioning, so life has to be planned around the conditions – this salad fits it perfectly and with orzo added one really does not need anything else for a full meal 🙂 ! Fork or spoon don’t count at my place since I tend to eat anything cut up with chopsticks anyways . . . 🙂 !!! Methinks Dozer IS trying to tell you he outgrew baby-anything quite awhile ago . . . . he’d love the hose put on in his direction tho’ I am certain!!
I hear you Eha! I don’t have air conditioning either, so I was happily living on this for days! PS Dozer is getting plenty of hose downs…. 🙂
So many wonderful flavors in this salad! Now this is the kind of salad that I crave!
I hear you Bethany! I’ve had this quite a few times in the past week and I still want MORE!!! 🙂
Nagi! You often speak my language with your recipes here on the blog, but today in particular, as you can well imagine.
Yay for Greek food!
What a fabulous idea to add risoni to your Greek salad. I love this idea, and the dressing sounds divine!
P.S. Ha – I also have leftover risoni in the cupboard. It’s been there forever – now I know what to do with it! 🙂
I KNEW this would get you!!! How are you Helen?? How’s the BUMP! 🙂
Hi Nagi, no offense, but the first thing I do when I read your posts is to scroll right to the bottom to read about Dozer. He is so adorable?, I have four of my own adorable dogs too. Oh, and I LOVE your recipes as well.? They always turn out great.
Ha – offence?? It makes me smile! You know how they say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach? Ok, well for me, it’s through DOZER! Ba ha ha!!!
Hi Nagi
I came across your website and love your easy layed back and fun loving approach to cooking. I have tried many of your receipes and my family and friends never complain.
Thank you for helping me enjoy cooking (it was always a drag trying to figure out what to cook every day). Your ideas and receipes are brilliant and I normally have all the ingedients already on hand
Thank you
Nikki
Thanks for the compliment Nikki! I’m so glad you are enjoying my recipes, thank you for letting me know! N xx
I am with you. Forks are overrated.
(There might be sub-zero temperature outside but you made me to crave this salad. And summer. And hot. Thanks a lot.) :)))
Ohhhh……then Friday’s recipe is ALSO going to be torture for you!!! but hold tight, there is a warm and cozy one coming on Monday! 🙂 N xx
Great recipe, Nagi….Love all those wonderful flavors 🙂
Though you might approve! 🙂 Happy New Year Pat! N xx