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 (2.5 cups) uncooked orzo
- 1/3 cup (55 g) diced red onion
- 1.5 cups (225 g) halved cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 heaping cup (150 g) diced cucumber, seeds removed
- 1 19 oz can (540 ml, 2.5 cups) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 6 oz can (200 ml) sliced black olives
- 2 (10 g) garlic cloves, minced
For the Dressing
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp (30 g) extra virgin olive oil, optional
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
- Cook Orzo: In a large pot cook orzo according to package instructions.
- Prepare Vegetables: While the orzo is cooking, add the chickpeas and chopped vegetables to a large mixing bowl and mix throughly.
- Zest Lemon: 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.
- Mix Dressing: Add the zest and the rest of the dressing ingredients to a bowl and whisk together with a fork.
- Drain and Rinse Orzo: Once the orzo is cooked, drain and rinse well with cold water until cooled.
- Mix Salad: Add the orzo to the bowl with the chopped vegetables and dressing and mix well.
- Serve: 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