Lemon Dill Orzo Salad Recipe With Feta Cheese Recipe / Video

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This delicious and light vegetarian cold orzo salad recipe is tossed with lemon juice, dill, cucumbers, and Feta cheese.

2 bowls of orzo pasta in a green herb sauce with diced cucumbers, red onions, and green onions. One bowl has shredded parmesan and a spoon. Side view.

Lemon dill orzo salad is very addicting and a perfect Greek inspired side dish for a picnic, potluck, or large gathering.

Serve this cold lemon orzo salad recipe with something light like gazpacho, pickled shrimp, pan fried piece of chicken or with seared scallops.

Parmesan cheese is pictured with this lemon orzo pasta recipe but it's even better with feta cheese. And, even better with both cheeses! Vegans leave out feta cheese or substitute dairy free cheese.

This looks like a lot of orzo pasta salad when it's finished but it goes down easy!

What is Orzo? Is Orzo Rice?

Orzo often gets confused with arborio rice which is used for risotta. But orzo, is a pasta, like spaghetti, macaroni, fusilli, etc... It's just a tiny shape that looks like short grain rice.

Orzo is a small pasta that is perfect with the addition of lemon and feta cheese. It isn't able to soak up a lot of sauce like marinara does for spaghetti so lighter or more delicate flavors work best for cold orzo salads (like lemon and olive oil). It is also very good in soups.

So having said all that! Orzo is pasta not rice. It has gluten which rice does not. But, it can be interchangeable with a lot of cold rice salad recipes since they are the same size and a similar texture.

Tips for Making Lemon Dill Orzo Salad with Feta Cheese

Cook the orzo first, strain and add the olive oil and lemon juice mixture immediately. Keep stirring it or it will clump together.

Pro - tip: Speed the cooling process along by rinsing the cooked orzo in cold water in a strainer before adding the lemon and olive oil mixture.

Do not add remaining ingredients until orzo is cool because the cucumbers will get soggy and the herbs will wilt. We're looking for a fresh, bright, vibrant, and crunchy lemon feta cheese orzo salad.

Seed the cucumbers because the water released from them will make the lemon feta orzo salad soggy.

Pro - tip: Seed the cucumbers and put the seeds in a pitcher and fill with water and keep it in the fridge. Use a small strainer over your glass when pouring a refreshing cup of cucumber water and throw the seeds back in the pitcher a couple times to maximize getting the most cups out of the cucumber water.

2 bowls of orzo pasta in a green herb sauce with diced cucumbers, red onions, and green onions. One bowl has shredded parmesan and a spoon. Top view.

Cold Lemon Dill Orzo with Feta FAQS

How is orzo different than pasta?

Orzo is not different than pasta. It is tiny pasta that resembles rice. Many people confuse it with arborio rice, which is used to make risotto. Orzo has gluten like all wheat pastas. Rice is gluten free.

Can I substitute orzo for rice and vice versa?

Yes, usually. Orzo and Rice can be substituted in nearly all COLD rice or orzo recipes. I have eaten this orzo feta salad recipe with rice substituted for the orzo but rice does get soggier than orzo so don't make it in advance. Make sure that the rice is cooled before adding any of the other ingredients.

Things In My Kitchen:

Old School Juicer - just like the one my mama gave me.
Over The Sink Colander - Don't set your clean colander in your dirty sink!

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Lemon Dill Orzo Salad with Feta

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EatSimpleFood.com

This light vegetarian cold orzo salad recipe is tossed with lemon juice, dill, crunchy cucumber, and Feta cheese.

Author: beckie
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 8
Category: Side Dish
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: International
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

1 lb orzo
⅔ cup (~ 4-5 lemons) lemon juice
⅔ cup olive oil
1 ½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 large cucumber, seeded & diced
½ cup red onion, thinly diced
1 ½ cup green onions, sliced
¾ cup dill, chopped
¾ cup parsley, chopped
½ lb feta cheese - optional as garnish

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add orzo and cook 8-10 minutes or until desired doneness. Drain and place in a large bowl.
Mix olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl or jar.
Toss mixture with orzo and place in refrigerator to cool, stirring occasionally.
When cool, mix in remaining ingredients, except feta cheese.
Add salt to taste and top with feta cheese. Happy Eating! Beckie

Notes

Rinse orzo in cool water after draining and before adding oil and lemon mixture if you're trying to cool the orzo faster to add the remaining ingredients. This orzo salad with feta recipe is best served cold.
Don't like or have feta cheese? No problem! Try adding Parmesan cheese or goat cheese (chèvre) to this lemon orzo pasta salad.
This is a basic recipe - add your favorite nuts, like pine nuts or sliced almonds if you want to up the game.

Serving Suggestion

Serve this light, summery cold lemon dill orzo salad dish with a complementary recipe like scallops or shrimp, or pair it with a tomato tart or a cold vegetable soup.