You don’t need to go out to a Greek restaurant to fix that Meditarrenean craving. This orzo salad is so simple to make and also stores well in the refrigerator for the rest of the week! Make a big batch at the beginning and pack it for lunch. The best part? This dish is best served chilled, so you don’t even need to worry about reheating!
This dish is also super versatile – feel free to tweak the ingredients to your own taste! Don’t like olives? Replace those with some artichoke hearts or some giardiniera. Like some spice? Add some cayenne or chili flakes! If you don’t have mint on hand, add some parsley (fresh or dried). You can even add some fresh cucumber if you have those on hand. Play around with the recipe a little and make it your own.
If you are enjoying this recipe series, you can check out the previous CSA recipe here:
Green Bean & Fennel Potato Salad
Psst, some of our Johnson Fitness & Wellness stores are actually CSA pickup locations! We’ve got free totes to carry all of your goodies in. The CSA program that we use is organized by Westridge Organic Produce. To find out more about our local Madison, WI CSA program, you can go here!
Minted Orzo Tomato Salad
Salad Ingredients:
- 6 oz orzo
- 3 medium zucchini
- 2 shallots (or 1/2 a red onion)
- 1 Tbs brown sugar
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- Handful torn basil leaves
- Handful torn mint leaves
- Zest of one lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil for sautéing and extra dressing if preferred
Directions:
- Cook orzo according to package instructions. Rinse with cold water, add a little olive oil (to prevent sticking) and let cool.
- Chop zucchini into 1” discs, then quarter the discs. Stir fry chopped zucchini in a little oil over medium-high heat until soft and starting to develop brown bits, about 15 minutes.
- Chop shallot cloves into small, thin rings. Stir fry in a little oil and brown sugar until caramelized, about 15 minutes at medium-high heat.
- Chop kalamata olives and cherry tomatoes.
- Combine zucchini, shallots, olives and tomatoes with cooled orzo in a large serving bowl. Season with the lemon zest, fresh herbs, salt and pepper. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil.