Orzo Pasta Salad with Mint + Feta

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.

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

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.

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

Orzo Pasta Salad with Mint + Feta

5 from 5 votes

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

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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.

6

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.

Tips:

I do not recommend this salad for meal prep, but you can prep components ahead and assemble just before serving: 

• 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

Video

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/6 batch, Calories: 182kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 158mg, Potassium: 148mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 490IU, Vitamin C: 12.8mg, Calcium: 81mg, Iron: 1.1mg

Author: Denise Bustard

Course: Lunch, Salad

Cuisine: American, Italian

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.