Mediterranean Orzo Salad
This vegan Mediterranean orzo salad is easy to make in under 20 minutes for a delicious, flavourful dish that’s perfect for a light main or healthy side.
Recipe Features
- vegan, can be oil-free (gluten-free orzo is available if needed)
- quick and easy to make in under 20 minutes
- light, fresh and tangy featuring a Greek-inspired lemon herb vinaigrette
- perfect recipe spring and summer and great for picnics and potlucks!
Ingredient Notes
- orzo – any brand works, though note that it can sometimes be made with egg, so read the label if you need the recipe to be vegan or egg-free
- tomatoes – cherry or grape tomatoes are best
- chickpeas – canned is easy but cooked from scratched works too
- olives – I used canned black olives but kalmata olives also work well
- olive oil – optional for the dressing but I think it really works well in the salad, you can omit if you need the recipe to be oil-free
Complete list of ingredients with amounts and full instructions is located in the recipe card below.
Step by Step Instructions
Quick Note: If you plan to make the tofu feta, I’d suggest making it the day or a few hours before for the most flavour. If you’re short on time, 30 minutes is fine too so no worries if you didn’t plan ahead! It’s an optional ingredient either way.
Step 1. Prepare the orzo according to package instructions, which should go something like this:
- bring a large pot of salted water to a boil
- add the orzo and cook for 5-6 minutes until al dente then strain
- for this recipe, rinse the orzo under cold water until cool
Step 2. While the orzo is cooking, chop all the veggies and add them to a large mixing or salad bowl with the chickpeas. You’ll need:
- cherry or grape tomatoes
- garlic
- cucumber
- red onion
- chickpeas
Step 3. Whisk the dressing ingredient together in a bowl This includes the lemon and lemon zest, dried herbs and olive oil, if using.
Can I make it without oil? Sure! I don’t use much oil in my kitchen but I love the olive oil in this recipe. It’s only 2 tbsp for the whole recipe so it’s not much. However, if you’d like the recipe to be oil-free, it’s totally ok to omit it.
Step 4. Add the cooked, cooled orzo and dressing to the veggies and chickpeas and mix well.
Serve right away topped with an extra squeeze of lemon and a generous sprinkle of tofu feta!
FAQs
Sure! This would be tasty with any kind of short pasta shape like rotini, bows or macaroni or you can try my Greek pasta salad recipe.
As written, no, it’s not gluten-free. Orzo is normally made with wheat but if you can find a gluten-free orzo like cassava orzo, then yes, you can make the recipe gluten-free.
You can store this salad in the fridge for up to 4 days. It actually holds up quite well! If you’re taking to a gathering, it’s fine out of the fridge for a few hours but try to keep it cool if possible.
This can be enjoyed on its own as a main dish or as a side salad to my chickpea veggie burger, beet burger, grilled lemon tofu or any other main dish.
Related Recipes
- Vegan Greek Pasta Salad
- Mediterranean Quinoa Bowls
- Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup
- Mediterranean Chickpea Skillet
- Zesty Italian Pasta Salad
- Lemon Garlic Orzo with Roasted Vegetables
Did you try this recipe?
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I’d love to hear about it! Click here to leave a review and be sure to tag me @runningonrealfood if you post it on social media.
Mediterranean Orzo Salad
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A delicious orzo salad recipe featuring chickpeas, veggies and a fresh and flavourful lemon herb dressing! This tasty dish is lovely any time of year but wonderfully refreshing for a light main or side during the spring and summer months.
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 400 g uncooked orzo (2.5 cups)
- 1/3 cup diced red onion (55 g)
- 1.5 cups halved cherry or grape tomatoes (225 g)
- 1 heaping cup diced cucumber, seeds removed (150 g)
- 1 19 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (540 ml, 2.5 cups)
- 1 6 oz can sliced black olives (200 ml)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (10 g)
For the Dressing
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (60 ml)
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, optional (30 g)
For the Optional Tofu Feta
- 175 g firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed (approx. 1/2 cup crumbled)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- In a large pot cook orzo according to package instructions.
- While the orzo is cooking, add the chickpeas and chopped vegetables to a large mixing bowl and mix throughly.
- Use a citrus planer or fine grater to prepare the lemon zest from the peel of the lemon. If you don’t have a fine grater or planer, cut off some of the peel and very finely chop until you have 2 tbsp. Add the zest and the rest of the dressing ingredients to a bowl and whisk together with a fork.
- Once the orzo is cooked, drain and rinse well with cold water until cooled.
- Mix with the chopped vegetables and dressing.
- Serve topped with a sprinkle of the tofu feta.
Notes
Tofu Feta: Press tofu for at least 20 minutes (see instructions on how to press tofu here). Crumble pressed tofu into a container and mix with the rest of the ingredients. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. Sprinkle on salad when serving.
Storing: Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe
- Calories: 189
- Sodium: 194 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
Keywords: mediterranean orzo salad, vegan orzo salad
This is lovely!
I’ve doubled the recipe, without doubling the amount of orzo.
To make up for less orzo, I’ve added a whole bunch of chopped kale.
It’s sooooooo addictive!
★★★★★
Great! So glad you enjoyed it. Great idea for adding kale!
Hi Deryn, this looks super tasty! I was wondering — I don’t like the taste of olives, so I was just going to keep them out, but would you have any suggestions for possible substitutions? Thank you!
You can just leave them out. The only thing I can think of to replace would be capers or marinated artichoke hearts. Thanks!
Such a simple and tasty dish for spring and summer! This will be a regular in my recipe rotation.
★★★★★
Fantastic recipe! It is light and fresh, simple flavours combined perfectly. Because it’s pasta, it’s also really satisfying. I added some feta, as I am not vegan. I might add some avocado tomorrow, if I remember. I didn’t add all the lemon juice so I can squeeze some on just before eating. My first spring-like dish of the year. Yum!
★★★★★
Amazing! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Karen. Avocado would be a great addition, YUM!
So yummy, even my picky kids loved it. I did sub the tofu feta for violife feta because… I was lazy. Great summer salad!
★★★★★
I’m too lazy to go to the store to buy feta so both are lazy options in their own way, ha! So glad you enjoyed it…definitely a perfect summer salad!
Quick, easy, and delicious. Love this combo of ingredients with the tangy dressing.
★★★★★
Love it but I used riced chickpea, lentil and green peas from Costco (Pedon Brand made in Italy) cooks up like orzo. 11 grams protein per serving.
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Sounds great! Thanks, Dori!
Tried this last night and it was a big hit with the family! Even my 3 year old loved it! I didn’t have olives but substituted them with capers and it was so yummy and easy to make! This will definitely become a frequent dish for us! The tofu feta was a game changer as well. I’m gonna keep making it and add to Greek salads and pretty much everywhere 😆
I definitely recommend this recipe!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
★★★★★
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed the “feta”. Thanks for the review, glad you guys loved it!