A fresh and delicious orzo pasta salad with orzo, cherry tomatoes, mint and feta cheese tossed in a tangy red wine vinaigrette. Similar to a greek salad, this orzo salad is refreshing and perfect for a picnic or potluck.
There's nothing quite like a refreshing pasta salad for potlucks, picnics, or just for lunch. This Healthy Greek Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe and Kale Chicken Pasta Salad are both great, as is this orzo salad!
You'll love my fresh twist on the old macaroni pasta salad. You know the one...dripping in creamy dressing, with the odd vegetable floating around in there. This is NOT that pasta salad.
THIS orzo salad is crunchy, bold, salty, herby and perfectly refreshing.
Reasons to ♡ this orzo pasta salad with mint + feta
- it's loaded with fresh and healthy veggies and easy to customize based on what you have on hand
- it's crunchy and refreshing
- it's perfect for picnics or potlucks
Recipe video
Wondering how this greek orzo salad comes together? Watch this 1-minute video to see how easy it is to prep! You can find more recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
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Let's talk ingredients!
For this orzo salad recipe you'll need:
- orzo pasta - which is the rice-shaped pasta. You can find it in the pasta aisle of your grocery store.
- chickpeas - use either cooked canned chickpeas, or cook them yourself these Instant Pot Chickpeas
- fresh veggies - cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion and radishes
- mint - adds bright, fresh flavor
- feta cheese - for delightful bites of saltiness
To make the vinaigrette - red wine vinegar, olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper
Orzo salad prep tips
- multi-task - First get the orzo pasta cooking, and then prepare the veggies and vinaigrette.
- make ahead - Prep the ingredients up to 4 hours before serving, but do not combine the veggies, pasta, and dressing until you are ready to serve.
- storage - This recipe does not keep well, so I do not recommend for meal prep.
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Can I use another type of pasta?
Absolutely, use your favorite pasta shape.
Can I make a meal out of this salad?
Yes, you may wish to add a second can of chickpeas to up the protein, or top with cooked chicken.
Can I make this vegan?
Sure, make sure to use maple syrup in place of honey in the vinaigrette, and omit the feta cheese.
Looking for more refreshing salad recipes?
- Avocado Pesto Pasta Salad with Roasted Summer Vegetables
- Chickpea, Barley, and Butternut Squash Jar Salads
- Caprese Chicken Quinoa Salad
- Chopped Chickpea Salad
- Kale Barley Salad with Feta and a Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette
This post was originally published in 2015. It has been republished in 2020 with fresh photos, recipe tips and a video.
Orzo Pasta Salad with Mint + Feta
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 cup orzo pasta (uncooked)
- 1 can cooked chickpeas (drained + rinsed)
- 1 cup cucumbers chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- ¼ cup red onion chopped
- ⅓ cup fresh mint chopped
- 1 cup radishes chopped
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
Red Wine Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 teaspoons honey
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon Dijon
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cook orzo according to package instructions, and allow to cool.
- Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl.
- Shake together all vinaigrette ingredients, then stir into the salad until completely combined.
Storage
- This salad does not keep well and I recommend that you eat it within 1 hour of dressing. See storage tips in the notes.
Notes
- cook orzo up to 2 days ahead
- shake up vinaigrette up to 7 days ahead
- chop cucumber, tomatoes, onion, radish up to 4 hours ahead
- chop mint just before serving for the best flavor/texture
