Orzo Arugula Salad

This Orzo Arugula Salad is a light and healthy side dish that combines sweet and savory ingredients for a delicious salad!

A healthy arugula pasta salad is an excellent option to serve as a refreshing and flavorful side dish. You can even present it as an elegant appetizer for a happy hour, or as a nutritious and tasty side to bring along to a potluck or picnic!

Serve it outdoors alongside this Margherita Pizza with Puff Pastry for a fantastic meal!

Why You’ll Love this Orzo Salad

Next time you need a sophisticated and delicious appetizer or side dish that’s easy to prepare, look no further than this arugula pasta salad.

With a quick and easy homemade lemon vinaigrette, this recipe is great for making large salads to feed the troops!

With savory ingredients like feta cheese and toasted pine nuts, as well as a sweet and tart punch from dried cherries and lemon juice, this salad screams warm weather!

Serve at any outdoor event for a refreshing and light side dish, or pair with a nice glass of wine or a cocktail. Treat yourself to a large bowl of healthy Orzo Arugula Salad and enjoy this nutritious and flavorful pasta salad!

Orzo Feta Salad Ingredients

• Tri-color orzo pasta – using a tri-colored pasta adds lots of beautiful contrast to this dish!
• Olive oil – acts as the base for the dressing.
• Fresh arugula – provides lots of health benefits, as well as a subtly peppery and leafy flavor.
• Feta cheese – tangy and salty, this cheese contrasts well with the sweet and tart ingredients in this orzo salad.
• Dried cherries – add a nice tangy sweetness.
• Toasted pine nuts – give the salad a nutty and piney flavor.
• Lemon juice – brings acidity and a sour sweetness to the vinaigrette style dressing.
• Salt & black pepper – to taste.

 

How to Make Orzo Pasta Salad

1. Cook orzo per package directions (this typically involves bringing salted water to a boil and cooking until al dente), drain and rinse with cold water, place on cookie sheet, drizzle with 3 tbsp. olive oil, let cool.
   

   Tri-colored orzo gives this dish additional visual interest.

2. Whisk together remaining olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
   

   This homemade lemon vinaigrette dressing takes only seconds to whip together and provides lots of tart and sweet flavor!

3. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients.
   

   Dried cherries add a pop of beautiful dark color and sweetness against some of the more muted and savory ingredients.

4. Add the dressing and gently toss until well combined.

 

FAQs

What is orzo?

Orzo is a type of pasta that’s typically shaped like grains of rice. It’s traditionally made from flour and also often made with semolina, which is a specific type of flour made from durum wheat.

This Italian pasta is sometimes called risoni due to its appearance of large rice grains.

Is orzo healthy?

It can be, especially varieties made with whole grain. As with most pastas, the health factors typically come down to the ingredients and toppings mixed into the pasta, which is why this pasta salad includes ingredients like fresh arugula and pine nuts to capitalize on both flavor and nutrition.

What can I use as an arugula substitute?

There are a number of greens that can be used instead of arugula to achieve a similar effect: kale, romaine lettuce, dandelion greens, mixed greens, baby spinach, watercress, and escarole.

How long does orzo salad last in the fridge?

When stored properly in an airtight container, your orzo arugula salad should last up to 3-4 days or so.

 

Popular Variations and Substitutions

• Add some Parmesan cheese for some extra salty cheesiness. You can also use this instead of the feta.
• Make this an orzo arugula goat cheese salad by substituting the feta for goat cheese, which will achieve a similar flavor that’s buttery and tart.
• Chop up some fresh basil and mix it into the oil and lemon juice to create more of a basil vinaigrette.
• For more additional ingredients, try tomatoes, red onion, chickpeas, almonds, bell peppers, cranberries, ricotta, and garlic.

 

More Recipes You’ll Love

• Air Fryer BBQ Wings – These easy BBQ wings are a crispy and flavorful appetizer, and they’re easy to prepare and cook in the air fryer!
• Dill Pickle Dip – A savory and filling pickle-flavored dip that’s topped with delicious bacon.
• Hummingbird Cupcakes – This beautiful dessert features pineapple and banana flavors for a sweet and tropical getaway in a bite.
• Blood Orange Tequila Spritzer – You’ll love this bubbly and refreshing drink that harnesses the uniquely sweet and tart flavor of blood orange.
• Arugula Grilled Cheese – Have extra arugula and don’t want it to go to waste? Make this recipe from A Flavor Journal, which also features apple, cheddar, and bacon!

 

Arugula Pasta Salad Recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Orzo Arugula Salad

Print

This delicious and light orzo arugula salad is an excellent option for warm outdoor dining, but you'll love this healthy pasta salad any time of year!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb tri color orzo pasta
• 3 tablespoon + ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 cups fresh arugula
• ¾ cup feta cheese, crumbled
• ½ cup dried cherries
• ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook orzo per package directions, drain,
2. place on cookie sheet, drizzle with 3 tb olive oil, let cool
3. Whisk together remaining olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper
4. In a large bowl combine all and gently toss until well combined
   

Notes

• Add some chopped basil to the dressing for additional flavor.
• More delicious toppings include: almonds, garlic, red peppers, tomatoes, red onion, cranberries.
• You can use spinach, mixed greens, danelion greens, or even regular romaine lettuce instead of arugula.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 816Total Fat: 54gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 40gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 347mgCarbohydrates: 71gFiber: 3gSugar: 17gProtein: 15g