Greek Orzo Chicken Salad Recipe / Tasty and Delicious

Greek orzo chicken salad

Looking for a delicious summer salad? You’re going to love this Greek orzo chicken salad recipe.

The salad features grilled pesto balsamic chicken, orzo, kalamata olives, crumbled feta cheese, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and a variety of fresh herbs, all tossed together in a flavorful dressing.

This salad is delicious AND beautiful with all the bright colorful ingredients. Enjoy it for dinner, serve it at your next cookout, (it will be a big hit), as a side dish, or as a light entree.

It’s a quick and easy recipe to prepare. You can serve it hot or cold.

Greek orzo chicken saladI love fresh herbs and this is a great opportunity to use fresh herbs from your garden if you have them available.

No worries if you don’t. You can use dried herbs if you want.

Greek Orzo Chicken Salad Dressing Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
    ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 TB lemon juice
  • 1 TB honey
  • 1TB Dijon mustard
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • ½ cup chopped herbs, dill, basil, oregano, and/or thyme
  • kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Greek Orzo Chicken Salad Ingredients

  • 1 lb. Boneless skinless chicken tenders (optional)
  • 1/3 cup basil pesto 
  • 2 TB balsamic vinegar
  • 1 lb. Dry orzo pasta
  • 2 cups feta cheese (crumbled or cut into chunks)
  • 2-3 cucumbers (chopped)
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved)
  • 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
  • ¼ cup pepperoncini (chopped & optional) 

This Greek orzo chicken salad recipe can be quite interchangeable. Feel free to switch or add other veggies or ingredients as desired.

Other salad ingredient options: black olives, green olives, sliced red onion, and cheddar cheese chunks instead of feta.

Greek Orzo Chicken Salad Instructions

To make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a large salad bowl.

  • 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 TB lemon juice
  • 1 TB honey
  • 1TB Dijon mustard
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • ½ cup chopped herbs, dill, basil, oregano, and/or thyme
  • kosher salt and black pepper to taste 
  1. In another bowl, toss 1 lb. raw chicken tenders with pesto and balsamic vinegar.
  2. Set your grill, or skillet to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Chop the chicken up into chunks.
  3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta to al dente. Drain.
  4. Add the hot orzo to the salad bowl full of dressing. Toss, toss!
  5. Add the chicken, 2 cups feta cheese (crumbled or cut in chunks)
  6. 2-3 cucumbers (chopped), 2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved), 1 cup pitted kalamata olives, ¼ cup pepperoncini (chopped & optional)
  7. Toss well! Serve warm or cold.
 

The salad will develop more flavor as it sits.

MAKE YOUR OWN DELICIOUS PESTO

I hope you and your family enjoy this as much as I do.

Greek Orzo Chicken Salad Recipe / Tasty and Delicious

Greek orzo chicken salad

This Greek orzo chicken salad is delicious AND beautiful with all the bright colorful ingredients. Enjoy it for dinner, and serve it at your next cookout, (it will be a big hit), as a side dish, or as a light entree.

  • Prep Time20 min
  • Cook Time10 min
  • Total Time30 min
  • Yield8

INGREDIENTS

Dressing Ingredients

    • 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
    • 2 TB lemon juice
    • 1 TB honey
    • 1TB Dijon mustard
    • 1 shallot, chopped
    • ½ cup chopped herbs, dill, basil, oregano, and/or thyme
    • kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Salad Ingredients

    • 1 lb. Boneless skinless chicken tenders (optional)
    • 1/3 cup basil pesto
    • 2 TB balsamic vinegar
    • 1 lb. Dry orzo pasta
    • 2 cups feta cheese (crumbled or cut in chunks)
    • 2-3 cucumbers (chopped)
    • 2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved)
    • 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
    • ¼ cup pepperoncini (chopped & optional)

INSTUCTIONS

Salad Dressing Instructions

1

To make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

2 TB lemon juice

1 TB honey

1TB Dijon mustard

1 shallot, chopped

½ cup chopped herbs, dill, basil, oregano, and/or thyme

kosher salt and black pepper to taste in a large salad bowl.

 

 

Salad Instructions

2

In another bowl, toss 1 lb. raw chicken tenders with pesto and balsamic vinegar.

3

Set your grill, or skillet to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Chop the chicken up into chunks.

4

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta to al dente. Drain.

Add the hot orzo to the salad bowl full of dressing. Toss, toss!

5

Add the chicken, 

  • 2 cups feta cheese (crumbled or cut in chunks)
  • 2-3 cucumbers (chopped),
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved),
  • 1 cup pitted kalamata olives,
  • ¼ cup pepperoncini (chopped & optional)

Toss, toss! Serve warm or cold. The salad will develop more flavor as it sits.

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Jan Howell

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

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Roasted Veggie Orzo Salad Recipe | Simply Delicious

roasted veggie orzo salad

Oh, baby, this warm roasted veggie orzo salad is packed with nutrition and flavor and is super easy to make. The creamy dressing combined with roasted vegetables, and the small pasta pellets is an amazing combination your palate is going to love.

This recipe can be modified to make it vegan and gluten-free if desired.

Makes a great leftover meal the next day and the salad is good cold or reheated.

Feel free to add whatever vegetables you want to roast. I give some other options below.

The dressing for this roasted veggie orzo salad is also really good on other things. You’ll see when you make it and taste it how versatile and yummy this would be on other things, and it is so simple to make!

roasted veggie orzo

What is orzo?

Orzo is a thin, oval, rice-shaped pasta that is often used in soups in Italian cuisine, but you can use it in pasta dishes, soups, grain bowls, and other places where a small pasta can come in handy. Here are some tips on how to cook it.

Roasted Veggie Orzo Salad Ingredients

  • 3 cups COOKED orzo (quinoa, rice, or gluten-free orzo)
  • 2 diced red pepper
  • 4 diced large carrots
  • 1 small head of cauliflower (chopped)
  • 2 zucchini (cubed)
  • 1 red onion (diced)
  • 1 15 oz can chickpeas rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup feta (optional vegan feta)
  • parsley: garnish

Other veggie options: asparagus, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and broccoli.c

Dressing Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup hummus (EASY TO MAKE RECIPE HERE).
  • 2 TB lemon
  • 1 TB extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 TB water
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • salt (to taste)
  • pepper (to taste)

This roasted veggie orzo salad dressing can be used and is so yummy for all kinds of other salads and dressings, and it is so simple to make!

warm roasted veggie orzo salad youmakeitsimple.com

Instructions Roasted Veggie Orzo Salad

  1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.
  2. Cook orzo following directions on the package. Drain and set aside.warm roasted veggie orzo salad chopper
  3. Chop the vegetables and place them in a big bowl. ( I LOVE THIS FOOD CHOPPER). It comes in so handy when making soups, salads, and snacks. I use it all the time).
  4. Drizzle a little olive oil over the veggies, add salt and pepper and mix well to coat veggies.
  5. Place the coated vegetables on a large cookie sheet (You may need two pans if your cookie sheets are small). THE VEGGIES DO SHRINK DOWN QUITE A BIT.

  6. Roast the veggies for 30 minutes.

  7. Warm chickpeas up in the microwave for a minute with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.

  8. Add all ingredients into a large serving bowl.

  9. Mix dressing together and pour on top. Garnish with parsley!

roasted veggie orzo salad

This roasted veggie orzo salad is a really good salad for parties, family gatherings, and luncheons. 

Roasted Veggie Orzo Salad Recipe | Simply Delicious

roasted veggie orzo salad

This warm roasted veggie orzo salad is packed with nutrition and flavor and is super easy to make. The creamy dressing combined with roasted vegetables, and the small pasta pellets is an amazing combination your palate is going to love.

This recipe can be modified to make it vegan and gluten-free if desired.

  • Prep Time15 min
  • Cook Time10 min
  • Total Time25 min
  • Yield8
  • Serving Size1 cup

INGREDIENTS

SALAD

    • 3 cups cooked orzo (quinoa, rice, or gluten-free orzo)
    • 2 diced red pepper
    • 4 diced large carrots
    • 1 small head of cauliflower (chopped)
    • 2 zucchini (cubed)
    • 1 red onion (diced)
    • 1 15 oz can chickpeas rinsed and drained
    • 1/2 cup feta (optional vegan feta)
    • parsley: garnish

SALAD DRESSING

    • 1/2 cup hummus
    • 2 TB lemon
    • 1 TB extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 TB water
    • 1 tsp garlic powder
    • salt (to taste)
    • pepper (to taste)

INSTUCTIONS

1

Preheat oven to 425° F.

 
2

Cook orzo following directions on the package. Drain and set aside.

3

Chop vegetables and place them in a big bowl. Drizzle a little olive oil over the veggies, add salt and pepper and mix well to coat the veggies.

4

Place the coated vegetables on a large cookie sheet (You may need two pans if your cookie sheets are small). THE VEGGIES DO SHRINK DOWN QUITE A BIT.

5

Roast the veggies for 30 minutes.

6

Make the dressing while veggies are roasting.

7

Warm chickpeas up in the microwave for a minute with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.

8

Add all ingredients into a large serving bowl and mix well.

9

Enjoy!

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Connect:

Jan Howell

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

Read More