Greek orzo salad is a delicious way to switch up your classic Greek salad. It is super simple, healthy, and flavorful!

This Greek orzo salad is a delicious pasta salad that is perfect for lunch or dinner! It is made with tangy feta cheese, fresh vegetables, tasty orzo, and a homemade Greek dressing.
I absolutely love serving it alongside baked chicken breast or seared salmon for a quick and healthy dinner.
Ingredients
To make this greek orzo salad, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Orzo: Orzo is one of the main ingredients for this recipe. You should be able to find it in most grocery stores.
- Vegetables: Cucumber, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and red onion are perfect for making a healthy and delicious Greek salad.
- Feta cheese: You can’t make a Greek salad without feta cheese! So be sure to add it to this orzo pasta salad.
- Kalamata olives: Kalamata olives are perfect for adding some extra flavor to salads. Plus, they go really well with the feta cheese!
- Parsley: Parsley is the perfect herb for making Mediterranean-inspired salads! So don’t omit it when you make this Greek orzo salad.
- Homemade Greek salad dressing: To make a homemade Greek salad dressing, you’ll need garlic, red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and dried oregano.
How to cook orzo for pasta salads
There’s no need to worry if you’ve never cooked orzo before! You actually cook orzo the same way you would cook other types of pasta.
This means that you’ll boil water in a pot, add salt, and then cook the orzo for 8-10 minutes until tender. Then drain, rinse with cold water, and set everything aside.
Just make sure you don’t overcook the orzo and that’s it!
How to make Greek orzo salad
Preparing this Greek orzo salad is super simple! Just follow these steps:
- Cook the orzo: First, cook the orzo. Then drain, rinse, and set aside.
- Chop the salad ingredients: While the orzo cooks, you can chop all salad ingredients and add them to a large bowl.
- Prepare the dressing: Next, whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
- Combine: Now add the cooked orzo and Greek salad dressing to the salad bowl and toss until everything is combined.
Tips for making the best Greek orzo pasta salad
Here are some things to keep in mind when you make this salad.
- Don’t overcook the orzo. As with other types of pasta, you don’t want to overcook the orzo. It turns mushy very quickly, so be sure to check the orzo while it cooks. It is ready when it is still al dente.
- Let the orzo cool. Before you combine everything, make sure that the orzo is cool. You don’t want to serve warm orzo with the salad. I always rinse the orzo with cold water to make it cool off quickly.
- Add the dressing right before serving the salad. If you want to make this Greek orzo salad in advance, don’t add the dressing. Wait until you want to serve the salad, then add the dressing and toss everything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Orzo isn’t naturally gluten-free as it is made with wheat. But you should be able to find gluten-free orzo in big supermarkets.
If you can’t find gluten-free orzo, you can always use gluten-free pasta instead of orzo to make a delicious Greek pasta salad!
I love to serve this pasta salad with baked chicken breast or seared salmon. It tastes great and adds protein to your meal!
You can store everything in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you prepare this salad in advance, I recommend storing the dressing in a separate container. This helps to keep the salad fresh and crisp.
More healthy and delicious salad recipes
Salad recipes are perfect for making healthy and nourishing meals. Here are some of my favorite salads.
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Pesto Spaghetti Salad
- Greek Chicken Pasta Salad
- Kisir (Turkish Bulgur Salad)
- Beet and Goat Cheese Salad
Greek Orzo Salad
Ingredients
Greek Orzo Salad
- 1 cup orzo
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 small red onion finely diced
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
- ½ cup sliced Kalamata olives
- ¾ cup diced feta cheese
Greek Salad Dressing
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- First, cook the orzo according to package instructions. Then drain, rinse, and set aside.
- While the orzo cooks, chop all salad ingredients and add them to a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, mix the dressing ingredients.
- Now add the orzo and the dressing to the salad ingredients. Toss until everything is combined and enjoy!
Teresa
This looks so good I have to make it.
Beri
Sounds great! 😊