It's FRIDAY!!!! Should we do lunch? How about a salad? Greek salad is one of my all time favorites. It's so light and flavorful with tangy Kalamata olives and creamy feta cheese. It's also a simple, no fuss meal, which I'm all about this spring. I always find I'm still hungry after I eat one though so I've added some healthy grains to my recipe to make it a bit more filling. Ergo, the Quinoa Orzo Greek Salad.
Confession: I'm not a big quinoa fan. When the craze hit for this ancient grain, I was completely mystified. Other than its health benefits, I really did understand the absolutely adoration of quinoa. Since the explosion, I seem to have finally found a way I actually enjoy eating it to the point where I would add it into a favorite recipe! The secret? Vinegar and olive oil. Simple as that. A basic vinaigrette takes this grain from the "um..." to the "yum!".
And yes. I went there. I'm so punny. I mean funny. OKAY stopping now.
One of my favorite things about this salad is how colorful it is. The recipe calls for cherry tomatoes but I strongly suggest grabbing the heirloom cherry tomato variety instead of the straight red to give this Quinoa Orzo Greek Salad a little more oomph! Also, leave a couple snazzy looking ones whole to really make your salad pop.
Alright friends! It's the end of the week and it's been a longggg, pollen filled one so I'm signing off. But before I go, treat yourself to a healthy, light, and easy Quinoa Orzo Greek Salad! It'll hit the spot on this hot (April?!) day ????????????
Quinoa Orzo Greek Salad
- Total Time: 23 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- ½ cup Orzo pasta
- ½ cup Red quinoa
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives
- 1 tablespoon Mediterranean Oregano
- 4 ounces Greek feta cheese, crumbled
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Parsley, diced to garnish
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Instructions
- In a medium sized pot, bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil. Add quinoa and return to a boil. Lower to a simmer, and cook for 10 more minutes.
- Add the orzo and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until orzo are tender and the germ of the quinoa is showing. Thoroughly drain and pour into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Stir gently to combine.
- Add cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, oregano, ¾ of the feta cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
- Top with remaining feta, parsley, and fresh ground black pepper.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 18 mins
Dan says
The last picture looks the best in my humble opinion(not a doctor). It's as if the ingredients are stuck together in a flavor explosion. This salad was refreshing and quite hardy.
Jennifer Garrett says
I made this today for the family and it was a big hit! I did not have all of the ingredients on hand, so I did substitute cottage cheese for feta, and left out the lentils but just doubled the quinoa. I also used red wine with a dash of apple cider vinegar instead of red wine vinaigrette. So light and refreshing, yet very filling. Definitely adding this to the dinner rotation!