This light and healthy Spinach Orzo Pasta Salad is made with just four ingredients and is ready in under 30 minutes. An easy summer BBQ dish or light and fresh weeknight dinner option.
This Mediterranean salad is oh so colorful, as well as delicious, this is actually a dish with some serious staying power. This is a one-pot meal that is truly good for you AND easy to make (two of my favorite things).
Spinach Orzo Pasta Salad Ingredients
Pasta Salad Ingredients
There are just four ingredients in this recipe but you can easily customize with more ingredients including lots of veggies for an even healthier meal.
- Orzo pasta – This rice-like pasta works perfectly in a salad.
- Spinach – I used baby spinach but spinach works too.
- Cherry tomatoes – Use cherry or grape tomatoes or swap out the tomatoes with roasted peppers.
- Olives – I used briny Kalamata olives with this salad but any quality olive will work.
Garlic Lemon Dressing Ingredients
You can use a store bought dressing but this dressing is so easy to make and there is just something about homemade dressing.
- Fresh lemon juice – Use fresh lemon and please do avoid the pre-made lemon juice in the bottle.
- Garlic clove – Use a little more if you really love garlic.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – Add richness and body to this dressing. Avocado, grapeseed, walnut, hazelnut, or sunflower oil can be used to.
- Kosher salt – Just bit to enhance the dressing’s flavor.
Refer to the spinach orzo pasta salad recipe card below for a complete ingredients list with measurements.
How to Make Spinach Orzo Salad
- Cook the orzo pasta
- Make the dressing
- Mix orzo and veggies
- Pour dressing over pasta salad
Tips & Variations
If you’re a cheese love add some feta, halloumi, goat cheese or labneh.
Pack in more veggies such avocado slices, Brussels sprouts, red onion or cucumbers.
Fresh dill or basil, or toasted pine nuts would really liven up this salad.
Add a half of teaspoon Dijon or ground mustard to the dressing for a little tanginess and added depth of flavor.
Fresh herbs like parsley, mint or dill or fresh black pepper are nice enhancements to the dressing.
Spinach Orzo Pasta Salad with Garlic Lemon Dressing
This Spinach Orzo Pasta Salad is made with just four ingredients, orzo pasta, spinach, cherry tomatoes and olives, and then topped with a light and refreshing garlic lemon dressing.
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cup orzo pasta, uncooked
- 1 cup baby spinach, chopped
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halves
- 1 tbs olives, halved
Garlic Lemon Dressing
- 2 tbs fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove
- 3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil and season with 1 tsp of salt. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions. (I left mine a bit on the al dente side)
- Strain the pasta in a colander and place in the fridge to cool.
- Add all of the dressing ingredients to a small container and whisk (or shake) to combine.
- Add the pasta back into the pot along with the chopped veggies and drizzle with the garlic lemon dressing .
- Toss together and serve immediately, or keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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