This orzo pasta salad is packed with fresh Mediterranean flavors. It's gluten-free and made with crunchy cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and loads of herbs and spices, all tossed in a tahini-based dressing.
Recipe Highlights
This orzo pasta salad is delicious since it combines my love of Mediterranean flavors with my desire to eat healthily. Aside from my fascination with this orzo salad, here are a few reasons you should prepare it:
- It's loaded with Mediterranean flavor.
- It's packed with protein.
- Easily take it to school or work.
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I understand that many people associate feta cheese with Mediterranean salads, but I prefer to skip the cheese.
Also, It should come as no surprise that my taste in food has been greatly impacted by Turkish cuisine, as I got hitched to a Turk and spent some time living in Turkey.
With that said Turks rarely put cheese on salads, so this Mediterranean orzo pasta salad will be without the crumbly feta bits.
Orzo Pasta Salad Ingredients
- Orzo. Chickpea orzo is a great one-ingredints pasta alternative.
- Fresh Vegetables. Fresh tomatoes, Persian cucumbers, and onion.
- Herbs & Spices. Dried mint, dried oregano, granulated garlic, & sumac.
- Tahini. Creamy tahini will add a nice nutty, creamy texture to the salad.
- Lemon. To add brightness to the dish.
- Olive oil. For flavor and velvetiness.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Gluten-Free Orzo Pasta Salad
Add the diced onion, herbs, spices, tahini, lemon juice, and olive oil into the bowl.
Mix the ingredients. Let this mixture sit a bit while the orzo cooks.
Add the cooked and rinsed orzo to the onion mixture.
Add the fresh parsley, cucumbers, and tomatoes to the orzo. Give the ingredients a generous toss.
Helpful tip: once the orzo is cooked, drain and rinse the orzo under cold water. I like to use a fine mesh strainer for this step. This will do two things:
- Stop the orzo from over-cooking.
- It will turn the orzo cold, which is what you need for a salad.
Substitutions
This orzo pasta salad is gluten-free and can be easily substituted.
- Tomatoes - instead of tomatoes, use diced red bell pepper.
- Herbs - use fresh cilantro or dill if you do not have parsley on hand.
- Onion - If you find onions to be overpowering, use a shallot instead.
The substitution of red bell pepper adds a sweet and crunchy element to the salad. Additionally, using cilantro or dill as an alternative to parsley can provide a unique and refreshing flavor profile.
Orzo Pasta Salad Variations
- Protein - this salad is vegetarian on its own, however, feel free to add baked chicken.
- Deluxe - add diced avocado.
- Fresh herbs & spices- instead of dried oregano, mint, and garlic, swap for ¼ cup fresh chopped mint, 1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano, or 2 cloves freshly chopped garlic.
See this Quinoa Salad with Pomegranate and Avocado for another gluten-free salad option.
How to Store
Store the prepared orzo salad in a sealed container and place it in the fridge until ready to consume. Good for 2-3 days.
More Gluten-Free Mediterranean Salads
- CACIK (TURKISH CUCUMBER YOGURT SAUCE)
- LADOLEMONO (GREEK LEMON OLIVE OIL DRESSING)
- CUCUMBER TOMATO SALAD RECIPE
- ZUCCHINI TZATZIKI DIP
Healthy Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad {Gluten-Free}
Ingredients
Pasta & Grains
- 1 10 oz box Barilla chickpea orzo
Lemon Tahini Dressing
- 1 small red onion, small dice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large lemon, juice of
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- 1 teasppon sumac
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Vegetables
- 2 medium tomatoes, small dice
- 4 persian cucumbers, diced
Fresh Herbs
- ½ cup fresh chopped parsley about 1 small bunch
Garnish
- wedges of lemon, optional
Instructions
Lemon Tahini Dressing
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the diced onion, olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, dried herbs, sumac, salt, and pepper. Whisk the ingredients together well until the diced onion is coated in the dressing. Leave the mixture to sit while you cook the orzo.
Cook the Orzo
- Cook the chickpea orzo according to the manufacturer's instructions. * See notes.
Put it All Together
- Add the drained, rinsed, and cooled orzo to the onion and dressing mixture. Toss until the orzo is evenly coated.
- Add the tomatoes, cucumbers, and parsley. Toss to combine. Taste to adjust for seasoning, adding more salt, if needed.
Serve
- Serve right away with wedges of lemon on the side.
Notes
- Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the chickpea orzo pasta and cook according to package instructions. I do not recommend cooking it al dente, as this ingredient is gluten-free and will not give the same texture. Cook it through until soft and tender, about 11-15 minutes.
- Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water.
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Miranda says
This is so good! I couldn’t find chickpea orzo pasta, but I did find gluten free made from quinoa. It was good. I took it with me to work.
Brenda K. says
This salad was amazing! The flavors taste nice and fresh. I loved it.