This orzo salad is quick, simple, and loaded with flavor! This delicious, naturally vegan dish is easily made gluten-free with the use of your favorite gluten-free orzo or rice. The addition of fresh herbs and vegetables take this orzo salad above and beyond!
I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to walk into the grocery store these days and see SUCH a variety of fresh spring produce! Like, give me allllllll the spring produce. Just toss it all in my cart, I’ll figure out something to do with it. And that’s pretty much how this orzo salad was created. I needed a way to jam as many fresh vegetables and herbs into a dish as possible, without it tasting too healthy. I mean we’re all about healthy around here, but too healthy ends up tasting like the earth, so we need to avoid that. In this salad – the orzo will keep you satisfied, the chickpeas will keep you full, and the veggies will keep you feeling your best! Now this orzo salad is a well-rounded dish, if I’ve ever heard of one.
Make it Gluten-Free
- Use Gluten-Free Orzo: There are a handful of gluten-free orzos out there. I’ve personally tried the Jovial Grain Free Cassava Orzo and can couch for its tastiness. Though feel free to use whatever gluten-free orzo you love in this recipe.
- Use Rice Instead of Orzo: Rice would make a delicious gluten-free substitute in this orzo salad! Simply cook 1 1/2 cups of brown or white rice in 3 cups of vegetable broth and use just as you would the orzo in this recipe.
What You Need To Make Orzo Salad
Chickpeas – Chickpeas give this otherwise light orzo salad a bit of heartiness. This starchy protein is mild in flavor, not at all taking away from the flavors of this dish. Feel free to use your favorite white bean in place of the chickpeas in this recipe, or even add some roasted chicken if you’d like!
Arugula – I love arugula for its peppery, almost spicy taste. Arugula is another layer of both health and flavor in this recipe. Though if you don’t like arugula, you can use fresh spinach instead.
White Wine Vinegar – White wine vinegar is slightly more mild and less acidic than most other vinegars. If you don’t have white wine vinegar, then I suggest picking up a bottle next time you’re at the store. It not only tastes great in this orzo salad recipe, but would make a great addition to most other salads. Though if you can’t find white wine vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar instead.
Orzo Salad
Course: MainCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy6
servings10
minutes7
minutes17
minutesThis orzo salad is quick, simple, and loaded with flavor! This delicious, naturally vegan dish is easily made gluten-free with the use of your favorite gluten-free orzo or rice. The addition of fresh herbs and vegetables take this orzo salad above and beyond!
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups orzo, see Notes
4 cups vegetable broth, see Notes
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup chopped cucumber
1 cup arugula
1/2 cup fresh chopped basil
- For the dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon honey, use maple syrup if vegan
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
- Bring vegetable broth to a boil in a large pot, add in the orzo and cook for about 7 minutes or until al dente.
- Drain orzo then set aside in a large bowl to cool.
- While orzo cools, make the dressing by adding all dressing ingredients to a bowl and whisking to combine.
- Add remaining ingredients to the orzo along with the dressing, then toss to combine.
Notes
- Orzo: You can easily make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free orzo or rice instead. For more information, see the section above titled “Make it Gluten-Free.”
- Vegetable Broth: Feel free to use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth in this recipe.
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