Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad
This healthy lemon orzo pasta salad is such a great universal dish! This orzo pasta salad is made with chickpeas, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes with a delicious homemade balsamic lemon vinaigrette. It works as a great side dish, appetizer, or main course if you add your favorite protein in it! I love how light and refreshing this dish is. I served this salad with my Honey Soy Grilled Chicken.
BE SURE TO SAVE THIS RECIPE TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD FOR LATER!
Ingredients
For the Orzo Pasta
- Orzo - 1 1/2 cups dry orzo.
- Cucumber - 1 medium cucumber, diced.
- Red Onion - 1/2 of a medium sized red onion, diced finely.
- Cherry Tomatoes - 15 ounces of cherry tomatoes, cut in halves.
- Chickpeas - 1 15.5 ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed & drained.
- Nutritional Yeast- I used 2 tablespoons. This is optional, but nutritional yeast adds a lot of vitamins, fiber, and protein to your salad!
- Lemon Zest - Zest of one large lemon
For the Balsamic Lemon Vinaigarette
- Olive Oil - 1/2 cup extra virgin
- Balsamic Vinegar - 2 tablespoons.
- Lemon Juice - 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- Garlic - 2 teaspoons of garlic, minced
- Sugar Free Syrup - I used 1 tablespoon of sugar free breakfast syrup but you can use any sweetener of choice
- Basil - 1 teaspoon of dried basil, or you can use fresh if you have that on hand!
- Oregano - 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, or you can use fresh if you have that!
- Salt and pepper - To taste
How To Make It
- Cook your orzo pasta according to the package instructions in salted water. Drain and set aside.
- Make your balsamic lemon vinaigrette by combining the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, syrup, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine your orzo, cucumber, onion, tomatoes, nutritional yeast, chickpeas, and lemon zest.
- Pour your dressing over your pasta salad and stir thoroughly. Chill for at least 30 minutes for the orzo to cool and for the flavors to soak in.
How To Store Leftovers
You can store your leftover Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. When you are ready to enjoy your leftovers, give your pasta salad a good mix because the dressing sinks to the bottom!
My favorite storage containers are by the brand Razab. I do giveaways with them and truly love their products so much. All of their containers are BPA free, oven safe, freezer safe, dishwasher save, and have steam release valves! You can find them on Amazon here.
Optional Additions/Substitutions
- Almonds - 1/3 cup of sliced almonds are a great addition to add a little bit of crunch!
- Chicken - Adding chicken or your favorite protein is a great way to make this a complete meal rather than just a side dish!
- Parmesan Cheese - Mixing in a little bit of parmesan cheese is another great addition. I would add about 1/3 of a cup if you decide to add it in!
- Herbs - Switch up the herbs! Cilantro, mint, dill, and parsley all work great in this orzo pasta salad as well!
Check Me Out on Social Media
I post all my recipes on social media as well and you can stay up to date on what I am up to! Also, I love seeing people try my recipes! When make these, snap a picture, and share it to your socials. Tag @cookingkatielady and #cookingkatielady so I can admire your masterpiece and share with others!
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This healthy lemon orzo pasta salad is such a great universal dish! This orzo pasta salad is made with chickpeas, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes with a delicious homemade balsamic lemon vinaigrette. It works as a great side dish, appetizer, or main course if you add your favorite protein in it! I love how light and refreshing this dish is. I served this salad with my Honey Soy Grilled Chicken.
- 1½ cup orzo (dry)
- 1 cucumber (medium, diced)
- ½ red onion (medium, diced)
- 15 oz cherry tomatoes (sliced in halves)
- 15.5 floz chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 lemon (zest of one lemon)
- ½ cup olive oil (extra virgin)
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 2 tsp garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp sugar free syrup
- 1 tsp basil (dried)
- 1 tsp oregano (dried)
- sea salt (to taste)
- black pepper (to taste)
Cook your orzo pasta according to the package instructions in salted water. Drain and set aside.
Make your balsamic lemon vinaigrette by combining the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, syrup, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine your orzo, cucumber, onion, tomatoes, nutritional yeast, chickpeas, and lemon zest.
Pour your dressing over your pasta salad and stir thoroughly. Chill for at least 30 minutes for the orzo to cool and for the flavors to soak in.
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 248kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 12g19%
- Saturated Fat 1.7g9%
- Sodium 260mg11%
- Total Carbohydrate 31g11%
- Dietary Fiber 5g20%
- Sugars 3g
- Protein 6g12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Did you make this recipe?
The next time you make it, snap a picture, and share it to your socials. Tag @cookingkatielady and #cookingkatielady so I can admire your masterpiece and share with others!:)
Please note that my nutrition label is approximate and has slight rounding. One serving is about 1/2 cup.