Orzo Salad With Vegetables and Herbs


Photo: Eliza Adam
Print this recipe

Ingredients

Salad:
Salt
6 ounces to 8 sugar snap peas, trimmed, cut into ¾-inch pieces
2 2/3 cups (about 21 ounces) orzo
1 1/4 cups diced tomatoes
3/4 cup diced peeled cucumber
1/2 cup chopped green onions including 2 inches of green stem
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
Dressing:
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 head Boston lettuce--optional

Preparation

1
To make the salad: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add sugar snap peas; cook 1 minute, then transfer peas to a strainer with a slotted spoon. Rinse with cold water and drain. Add orzo to the same pot. Boil until tender but still firm to bite; about 8 minutes. Drain and cool.
2
In a large nonreactive bowl, mix together orzo, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, parsley, mint, and lemon zest.
3
To make the dressing: Combine lemon juice, lemon zest, and garlic in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
4
Pour enough dressing over the salad to coat well. You may have a little dressing left over. Season salad with salt and pepper, if needed. (The salad can be made 1 hour ahead. Do not let it sit longer, or the peas and onions will start to lose their bright color. Cover salad and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
5
To serve, line shallow serving bowl with lettuce leaves, if you desire. Mound salad in bowl.

Tools

.

About

This is a good salad to make to accompany grilled meat or chicken, I made this along with my Honey Citrus Chicken. The orzo pasta goes well with a medley of vegetables, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, and green onions; the mint and parsley add a herbal tone to the salad. I love the combination of the texture and the color in it too.

Yield:

8.0

Added:

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 - 9:10pm

Creator:

Related Cooking Videos