c's orzo salad |
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Our annual 4th of July picnic is always full of great food.
My long-time friend doesn't like mayonnaise, so while mac salad isn't her thing, this orzo salad is a great choice for picnic/outdoor salad. Most importantly, no mayonnaise means a sturdy salad that won't wilt or spoil as quickly as a mac salad might. This is also the case for On-the-Fly Orzo variation at the bottom of the page. She also advises that if you have time, it tastes better if you can make the salad a day ahead so that the pasta soaks up the flavor a little. Not a requirement, but nice to have. |
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1 box orzo (16 oz)
6 ears of fresh corn or 1 can of corn, rinsed and drained 1-2 small containers sweet cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered 1 bunch of basil, shredded 1 carton of baby spinach 1 red onion, chopped About 5T each balsamic vinegar & olive oil 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (optional) Hawaiian Salt and pepper, to taste, About 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese |
OPTIONAL MIX-INS (but highly recommended, and used routinely)
Feta cheese 1 jar of marinated artichoke hearts OTHER OPTIONAL MIX-INS (truly optional) Pine nuts Sliced red, yellow or orange bell peppers Olives |
Sauté onions and corn. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook orzo per box directions. While the water boils, shred basil and quarter tomatoes. Put everything into a large bowl. Drain and cool the cooked orzo a little bit.
Crush garlic into olive oil and vinegar and mix. If you are using a jalapeno pepper, add it in now. Toss salad ingredients together, including Parmesan cheese and optional mix-ins. Add the dressing mix in SLOWLY. Best to taste as you add, especially if you are using Feta and artichoke hearts because they have a strong taste.
If you do make the recipe a day ahead, add some balsamic vinegar on the second day for added flavor.
Crush garlic into olive oil and vinegar and mix. If you are using a jalapeno pepper, add it in now. Toss salad ingredients together, including Parmesan cheese and optional mix-ins. Add the dressing mix in SLOWLY. Best to taste as you add, especially if you are using Feta and artichoke hearts because they have a strong taste.
If you do make the recipe a day ahead, add some balsamic vinegar on the second day for added flavor.
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This is a good salad for summer because the only thing to cook is orzo.
Cook orzo according to directions. Slice up everything else and toss into a salad bowl. Drain orzo with cold water and add a little bit of the artichoke juice to the orzo. Let the orzo cool off a bit, and then toss it with the rest of the ingredients. Add balsamic vinegar to your taste. |
ON-THE-FLY ORZO (variation on a theme)
1 box of orzo 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and large dice 2 red peppers, large dice 1 large bunch of basil, sliced to ribbons Fresh marinated mozzarella balls, cubed 1 jar of marinated artichoke hearts Roasted tomatoes, as many or as few as you like 3-4T balsamic vinegar, to taste |