Vegan Greek Orzo Salad
A family favorite to serve at gatherings and delicious as a cold salad for lunch!
Vegan Greek Orzo Salad with tomatoes, basil, and vegan feta cheese is the perfect fresh and vibrant side dish the whole family will love! Ready in 30 minutes, vegan, and gluten free optional.
I love this super simple side dish that comes together really quickly! It’s perfect to pack for travel, makes a great addition to lunch boxes, and is a crowd favorite at summer picnics and parties.
Want more Mediterranean inspired recipes? Make sure to check out my Classic Vegan Greek Salad, my Italian Lentil and Spinach Soup, or my Lemon Lentil Salad!
Vegan Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
Yield: 10 Generous Servings
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Equipment
Cooking pot
Mixing bowls
Mixing spoons
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Ingredients
For the Salad
1 cup orzo
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 cups cucumbers
1 cup bell pepper chopped
½ cup Kalamata olives sliced
⅓ cup vegan feta cheese optional
Handful fresh basil leaves
For the Dressing
4 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons vegan mayo
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon maple syrup or sugar
½ teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Boil the orzo. Bring a medium sized pot of water to boil and cook the orzo pasta according to package directions. For most orzo, this is about 10 minutes of cooking. When the orzo is done, drain and rinse the pasta under cool water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
Prepare the vegetables. While the orzo is cooking, wash and chop all the vegetables for the salad. Quarter the cherry tomatoes and the olives, finely chop the red bell pepper and the cucumbers. Crumble the vegan feta, if using. And cut the fresh basil into ribbons.
Mix the dressing. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vegan mayo, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, oregano, salt, and pepper. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
Combine and serve. Finally, into a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir together to evenly coat the salad in dressing. Taste for seasoning and enjoy!
Click above for a printable copy of this recipe!
Orzo Salad: You’ll need some orzo or other small pasta noodles, as well as a nice mix of vegetables like cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, and Kalamata olives.
Dressing: A simple dressing made with lots of lemon juice, Dijon mustard, vegan mayo, oregano, sugar (or maple syrup), salt, and pepper.
Finishing Touches: Some crumbled vegan feta is optional but adds such a cool and creamy texture to this salad! Finish it off with ribbons of fresh basil and it’s delicious!
For maximum flavor, allow the salad to marinate for about an hour so that the orzo has a chance to soak up the sauce.
Orzo is a small shaped pasta and can be hard to give it flavor. To make the orzo as flavorful as possible, try adding some vegetable broth into the cooking water. I do this for every orzo salad I make and it really adds a nice depth of flavor!
How to Store
Fridge: Keep any leftover orzo salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing this salad as the raw crisp vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers are best fresh and not frozen
What to Serve this With
Obviously you can serve this as a side dish for about 10 large servings. It’s a perfect summertime salad (think BBQs and Memorial Day or July 4th) when served with:
Burgers & Sandwiches: This is delicious when served with some BBQ Lentil burgers or alongside a Tofu Salad Sandwich or a Chickpea of the Sea Sandwich.
Other Green Salads: You can’t go wrong adding a Classic Greek Salad to go with this!
Before you go!
I hope that you love this orzo salad as much as my family does!
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That’s all for now!
Love and Sprinkles,
Laura