Summer Orzo Pasta Salad

Preperation time
30 m
Skills level

Serving size
8-10
Country of origin

Preparation time: 30 m
Cooking time: 12 m
Ready in: 15 m
Servings: 8-10

Ingredients

  • 1 (1lb) box Orzo pasta
  • one bunch asaparagus
  • 20 Kalamata Olives
  • 1 small vadalia Onion or red onion
  • 2 marinated chicken cutlets, pre-cooked
  • one small bunch scallions, white and light green parts only
  • 1-2 carrots, diced
  • 3 large kale leaves, discard stem and chop
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 1 (8.5 ounce) jar Sun dried Tomatoes
  • a good quality extra virgin olive oil
  • Tumeric for a pop of color
  • Sea Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 8 or more basil leaves for freshness, diced (add last)
  • a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes, optional (for a spicy taste)
  • 1 large white bowl to serve salad
Recipe Type:
Course:

This is a very colorful salad, that is also very versatile and great for a large gathering. It’s definitely a great salad for late Spring into late Summer. You can make this and store in an air tight glass container and use during the week for a side or take to work for an easy and nutritious lunch as well! Use whatever veggies you have that are fresh and on hand. Do the weekly veggie round up! My recipe is a great starting point, but you can swap out one veggie for another, like asparagus for green beans, or white onions for red onions, or black olives for capers, just be sure you have a good color balance AND don’t overcook your greens or add the veggies in too early before your pasta has cooled completely. Also, this can easily be a vegetarian meal just skip the chicken altogether! Here are the directions.

I use a large white bowl for this salad, so the colors pop against the white background. It is a very visually appealing salad. Remember we eat with our eyes too!  Cook your pasta according to the directions on the box.  Be sure to generously salt the water once it boils. After it has finished cooking, drain it and rinse with cool water. I pour it into a colander and shake out as much water as possible. Next, toss it back into the pot and add some ground sea salt, a drizzle of olive oil, and a good shake of some ground Tumeric. The Tumeric will enhance the color of the pasta to a gorgeous deep yellow/orange hue.

While the pasta is cooling, cut off the kale from the stem, chop into tiny pieces. Now because kale is tough, place it in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and and a squeeze of a half of a lemon and let it sit! Next, cut off the ends of the asparagus. Dice into bite sized chunks and toss them into a hot non-stick pan for a few minutes to cook. Add a pinch of sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil. After roughly 4-5 minutes they will be done, take them off the burner and let them sit.

Next, peel, rinse and dice one or two carrots into tiny chunks. Chop up one small Vadalia onion (or red onion). Thinly slice the black olives. Rinse and pat dry, then cut the fresh basil into slivers. Dice any pre-cooked chicken (roughly 2 small breasts) into bite sized chunks. Lastly, chop some scallions white and light green parts only.

Start combining your veggie ingredients. Start by adding a few good drizzles of a good quality extra virgin oil OR some of the oil from the Sundried tomatoes onto the kale, adding in roughly half the jar of tomatoes or slightly more. Next, add the rest of your ingredients to the kale:  diced carrots, asparagus, onion, olives, and green onions (hold the basil for last).

After 10-15 minutes, you can add the veggies to the orzo and mix well!! Then add in the seasonings. You’ll need a good sprinkle of black pepper, sea salt, a some crushed red pepper flakes if you like things spicy – a little goes a long way. But remember not everyone likes spice so if you are feeding a large crowd you may want to skip it!.

Give it a taste – an important step in the cooking process! Last add in the diced chicken and fresh basil, and give it a quick stir. I like to mix my veggies together first to obtain a great flavor base. The orzo is very plain, so seasoning is crucial! Also, cold pasta salads need more seasonings than hot pastas, especially on Day 2~

This will keep 2 days. I sometimes make this salad and add it to my greens for lunch or dinner with some feta. My kids love having this to eat when they are hungry. It’s a healthy and satisfying option. Day 2 add a few more drizzles of the oil from the Sun dried tomatoes or some olive oil to fresh up the salad along with some more seasonings. You may also serve this as a side salad to accompany your dinner, if so cut the recipe in half and that should be enough for 4-5 servings. I hope you enjoy!