Greek Orzo Salad with Feta, Olives and Lemon-Oregano Dressing

Greek orzo salad takes the flavours of a classic Greek village salad, cucumber, tomato, red onion, olives and feta, and tosses them with orzo, the small rice-shaped pasta Greeks call kritharaki. A lemon, olive oil and oregano dressing ties it together. It is sturdy enough to make ahead, travels well to picnics and barbecues, and works as a side or a light lunch on its own.

Greek orzo salad recipe

Serves: 6 servings as a side. Prep: 20 minutes. Cook: about 10 minutes. Total: about 30 minutes.

Ingredients

Salad

• 1½ cups (about 250 g) dry orzo
• 1 small cucumber, diced
• 1½ cups (225 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ red onion, finely chopped
• 1 green or red pepper, diced
• ½ cup (75 g) pitted Kalamata olives, halved, such as our Kalamata olives
• 5 oz (150 g) feta, crumbled
• A small handful of parsley or dill, chopped

Dressing

• ⅓ cup (80 ml) extra virgin olive oil, such as our Rapti Koroneiki olive oil
• 3 tbsp lemon juice or red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 1 tsp dried Greek oregano
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Cook the orzo in plenty of well-salted boiling water according to the pack, usually 8–10 minutes, until just tender.
2. Drain and rinse briefly under cold water to stop the cooking, then drain very well. Toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil so it doesn’t stick.
3. Shake or whisk all the dressing ingredients together.
4. In a large bowl, combine the orzo, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, pepper and olives. Pour over most of the dressing and toss.
5. Fold in the feta and herbs gently. Taste and add more dressing, salt or pepper.
6. Serve straight away or chill for 30 minutes to let the flavours blend. Add the rest of the dressing just before serving.

What is orzo?

Orzo looks like a large grain of rice but is pasta, usually made from durum wheat semolina. In Greece it is called kritharaki, “little barley”, and is used in soups, baked dishes with meat such as giouvetsi, and pilafs. Because it is wheat pasta, orzo contains gluten; for a gluten-free version, use a gluten-free orzo or a short-grain rice instead. If you like the same salad with larger pasta shapes, try our Greek pasta salad.

Tips for the best orzo salad

• Salt the cooking water well. Pasta absorbs flavour while it cooks, and the salad will taste flat without it.
• Rinse and drain thoroughly. Unlike hot pasta dishes, a cold salad needs the surface starch rinsed off so the orzo doesn’t clump. Shake out every drop of water so the dressing isn’t diluted.
• Dress it in stages. Orzo soaks up dressing as it sits, so keep some back to add just before serving.
• Add the feta last. Folding it in gently keeps it in creamy pieces rather than a paste.

The olives and feta

Kalamata olives bring a rich, fruity saltiness. Halve them so each forkful gets some, and check for stones even in pitted olives. Our Kalamata vs black olives guide explains the difference from ordinary black olives. For the cheese, a block of feta in brine has the best texture. Feta is a protected designation of origin (PDO) in the European Union, so cheese sold as feta there must come from defined regions of Greece and be made mainly from sheep’s milk, with up to 30% goat’s milk.

The dressing

A simple Greek dressing is olive oil, an acid, garlic, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Lemon juice makes it fresher; red wine vinegar makes it sharper and closer to a taverna salad. A little mustard helps it emulsify. Use your best Greek extra virgin olive oil here, since it is uncooked and you will taste it. Our Greek salad dressing recipe and lemon vinaigrette are good alternatives to make in a bigger batch.

Variations

• More protein: add a can of drained chickpeas, or serve with grilled chicken or pork souvlaki.
• Greens: fold in a couple of handfuls of baby spinach or rocket just before serving.
• Roasted vegetables: swap the raw pepper for roasted peppers or courgette.
• Without cheese: leave out the feta and add extra olives and a few capers for saltiness.

Making ahead and food safety

Orzo salad keeps well in the fridge for 3–4 days in a covered container; refresh it with a little more dressing and lemon before serving. At a picnic or barbecue, keep it cool. The USDA advises not leaving perishable food out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F (32°C). A cool box with ice packs, or a bowl set over ice, keeps it safe and crisp.

For more Greek salads, see our Greek chickpea salad and Greek salad recipe, or browse the Greek pantry recipes and the Kalamata olives collection.

Sources

• EUR-Lex: Commission Regulation (EC) No 1829/2002 registering “Feta” as a protected designation of origin
• USDA FSIS: “Danger Zone” (40°F–140°F)

Greek orzo salad: frequently asked questions