Orzo Salad with Cucumber Feta (Printable)

Light Mediterranean orzo with cucumber, feta and lemon dressing — crisp, tangy and ready in 25 minutes.

# What you need:

→ Pasta

01 - 1 cup orzo
02 - Salt, for boiling water

→ Vegetables & Herbs

03 - 1 large cucumber, diced
04 - 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
05 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
06 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
07 - 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped (optional)

→ Cheese

08 - 3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

→ Lemon Dressing

09 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
10 - Zest of 1 lemon
11 - Juice of 1 1/2 lemons (about 3 tbsp)
12 - 1 garlic clove, finely minced
13 - 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
14 - 1/2 tsp dried oregano
15 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
16 - Salt, to taste

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package instructions (usually 8–10 minutes) until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together all lemon dressing ingredients: olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, honey, oregano, pepper, and salt. Adjust seasoning to taste.
03 - In a large salad bowl, combine cooked orzo, cucumber, red onion, cherry tomatoes, parsley, and mint.
04 - Drizzle the lemon dressing over the salad and toss well to combine.
05 - Gently fold in the crumbled feta cheese.
06 - Chill in the refrigerator for 15–30 minutes to allow flavors to meld, or serve immediately. Garnish with extra parsley or feta if desired.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • This salad quietly turns leftovers into a light, satisfying meal with very little effort.
  • The bright, tangy dressing and salty feta will have you sneaking spoonfuls straight from the fridge.
02 -
  • If you skip rinsing the orzo, it turns gummy and clumpy—learned that after coming back to a bowl best described as ‘pasta glue’.
  • Letting the salad chill, even briefly, makes the flavors bloom in a way tossing and serving immediately just can’t match.
03 -
  • Chop all veggies about the same size as the orzo for the best spoonful every time.
  • Let the salad sit 15 minutes at room temperature before serving if you can’t chill—it makes the flavors come through.
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