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Colorful Greek Orzo Salad with feta, tomatoes, cucumbers, and olives served in a bowl.

Greek Orzo Salad

A bright, tangy salad perfect for summer, featuring orzo pasta mixed with classic Greek ingredients like cucumber, tomatoes, olives, and feta in a simple lemon and olive oil dressing.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean
Calories: 250
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main ingredients
  • 1.5 cups Orzo pasta (about 1 1/2 cups dry)
  • 1 large Cucumber, diced
  • 2 cups Cherry tomatoes, halved or any ripe tomatoes you love
  • 0.25-0.5 pieces Red onion, finely chopped
  • 0.5 cups Kalamata olives, sliced or halved
  • 0.75-1 cups Feta cheese, crumbled Block feta is preferred for better texture
  • 1 bunch Fresh parsley, chopped a big handful
Simple dressing
  • 0.33 cups Extra virgin olive oil
  • 3-4 tablespoons Lemon juice, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon Red wine vinegar, optional but nice
  • 1 small clove Garlic, grated or minced
  • 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
  • to taste teaspoon Salt and black pepper start small and adjust

Method
 

Cooking Orzo
  1. Boil the orzo in well salted water and cook just until tender, following the package time. Start checking one minute early.
  2. Drain the orzo and rinse it under cold water for a few seconds to stop the cooking and help it cool quickly. Toss with a tiny splash of olive oil to prevent sticking.
Prepare Ingredients
  1. While the orzo cools, chop the cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, olives, and parsley into bite-sized pieces.
  2. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar (if using), garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.
Assembly
  1. In a big bowl, combine the cooled orzo and chopped veggies. Pour the dressing over and toss to combine.
  2. Fold in the feta gently to keep some chunks intact.
Chill and Taste
  1. Let the salad sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

Notes

You can make this ahead; just hold back some dressing and feta to stir in before serving for freshness. It's perfect for potlucks and picnics.