Does it feel like summer yet in your neck of the woods? This light, wholesome orzo salad is a great way to celebrate the season (or to kickstart it, if you’re in need). Serve alongside your BBQ, tuck into a tupperware for a picnic, bring it to a neighborhood potluck, serve at a brunch or tea, or (let’s be honest) just scoop into a big bowl for dinner on a night when it’s too hot to cook. Wherever you take it, just plan to be asked for the recipe!
Megan’s mom shared this recipe with us awhile ago, and no one can remember where it came from. It is REALLY delicious, and so easy to make. Every time we make it, we seem to tweak the proportions a little, so the measurements below represent our current favorite combination—but to be perfectly honest, we sometimes just eyeball it. Which is to say, don’t fret too much about being exact.
While we encourage you to increase or decrease to your heart’s content, however, we want to also urge you not to skip, substitute, or add anything! We tend not to be such purists, but there’s a time for everything, right? Really, though, the combination of basil, arugula, apricots, feta, pine nuts, and lemon is just too perfect. Megan even has a secret: she eats this salad pretty carefully to make sure she has a bit of each ingredient in every forkful. It’s just that magical of an ensemble. Trust us.
It’s a good idea to cook the orzo a day ahead, or at least a few hours ahead, so it has time to cool. The mixed salad itself won’t hold up too long (the greens tend to get a little sad and wilty), but it’s still pretty tasty on the next day and edible even on the second, third, or fourth. The best way to make ahead or to have leftovers is to prep all the ingredients but wait to mix them until the day you will be serving the salad.
We enjoyed ours this weekend at a little picnic in our new favorite neighborhood park. We grilled some corn and veggies from this week’s CSA, a pork chop for Joe, and a lentil burger for Megan.
Summer Orzo Salad (print here)
Ingredients
- 1 pound orzo
- ½ cup (¼ cup plus ¼ cup) olive oil
- 2 generous cups fresh arugula
- ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ cup dried apricots, chopped
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts, cooled (or more)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (about the juice of one lemon)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Cook the orzo as directed on the package. Drain and put onto a cookie sheet. To prevent sticking, drizzle it with ¼ cup of the olive oil (reserving the other ¼ cup for later), toss, spread out, and set aside to cool. If cooking the orzo ahead, store in in a closed container in the refrigerator after it has cooled completely. When you’re ready to make the salad, simply transfer the orzo to a large bowl and toss gently with the other ingredients.
The Leftovers Project 