25-Minute Orzo Pasta Salad with Feta and Olives

This orzo pasta salad comes together in 25 minutes and tastes like a summer picnic in a bowl. Tender orzo, salty feta, crunchy cucumber, and a bright lemon dressing make it the side dish that goes with everything.

The dressing doubles as a quick marinade for grilled chicken or shrimp if you want to turn it into a main course later in the week.

What Makes This Orzo Salad So Good

The dressing is sharp and lemony, and the feta crumbles into little creamy pockets as you toss it. Every forkful pulls in something different, a briny olive, a sweet tomato half, a fresh bite of parsley.

It holds up beautifully in the fridge, so you can make it in the morning and serve it cold at dinner without the pasta going gummy. The ingredients are all regular grocery store items, and you do not need any special equipment beyond a big pot and a mixing bowl.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry orzo pasta: the small rice-shaped pasta that cooks in about 9 minutes
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil: use the good stuff since you will taste it raw
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice: about 1 small lemon
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar: adds a little extra kick
• 1 small garlic clove, minced: grates in fast on a microplane
• ½ tsp dried oregano: rubbed between your fingers to release the oils
• ½ tsp kosher salt: plus more for the pasta water
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved: grab the sweetest ones you can find
• ½ English cucumber, diced small: no need to peel if the skin is thin
• ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced: soak in cold water for 5 minutes if you want a milder bite
• ⅓ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved: the wrinkly, brine-cured kind
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese: buy a block packed in brine and crumble it yourself for the creamiest texture
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley: flat-leaf or curly, either works

Variations and Swaps

• Add protein: fold in 1 cup of shredded rotisserie chicken or a drained and rinsed can of chickpeas.
• Swap the cheese: goat cheese or cubed fresh mozzarella both work, though mozzarella makes it milder.
• Change the herb: fresh dill or mint gives it a completely different fresh note.
• Make it dairy free: use a good vegan feta, or skip the cheese and add an extra handful of olives and a spoonful of capers.
• Go gluten free: use an orzo made from rice or corn, and cook it a minute less than the package says so it stays firm.

For another bright, make-ahead side, try my Lemon Herb Couscous Salad.

How to Make Orzo Pasta Salad

Step 1: Cook the Orzo

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the 1 cup of dry orzo and cook for about 9 minutes, or a minute less than the package suggests, until it is tender with a little chew. Drain the orzo in a fine mesh strainer and rinse it under cold water for a full minute, shaking the strainer so every grain cools down. This stops the cooking and washes off the extra starch that would make the salad sticky.

The orzo should feel cool to the touch before you move on. If it is still warm, rinse a bit longer. Give it a quick shake to remove the excess water, then drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil and toss lightly just to keep the grains loose while you work on everything else.

Step 2: Whisk the Dressing

In the bottom of your large mixing bowl, whisk together the ¼ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, the minced garlic, ½ teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Whisk hard for about 30 seconds until the mixture looks thick and glossy, which means it has emulsified and will cling to the orzo instead of pooling at the bottom.

Taste the dressing and adjust it. If your lemon was especially tart, you might want a small pinch of salt. If it tastes too sharp, whisk in one more teaspoon of olive oil.

Step 3: Chop the Vegetables

Halve the 1 cup of cherry tomatoes and toss them into the bowl with the dressing. Dice the cucumber into small, uniform pieces so every bite catches some crunch. Slice the red onion as thin as you can and scatter it in. Add the halved kalamata olives, the crumbled ½ cup of feta, and most of the chopped parsley, saving a pinch for the top.

The dressing sitting in the bottom of the bowl will start to soften the vegetables gently while you bring everything together. That short soak pulls a little juice out of the tomatoes and mellows the raw onion.

Step 4: Toss and Finish

Add the cooled orzo to the bowl and fold everything together with a large spoon or spatula. Go slowly at first so the dressing coats every piece, then give it a few more confident folds until the feta begins to streak through in small creamy smears. Taste one more time and add another pinch of salt or a squeeze of lemon if it needs more life.

Scoop the salad onto a wide serving platter or shallow bowl, top with the reserved parsley, and serve right away or let it sit for 10 minutes to let the flavors settle into each other.

A Few Things That Help

• Let the orzo cool completely before it meets the feta. Warm pasta melts the cheese into a paste, and you lose those nice white crumbles.
• If you have time, make the dressing right in the serving bowl and let the onions and tomatoes sit in it for 5 minutes while the orzo cooks. The acid softens them just enough.
• The salad tastes even better after a short rest, so do not rush to serve it the second you toss it. Ten minutes on the counter is plenty.
• Leftover dressing from the bottom of the bowl makes a quick drizzle for grilled flatbreads or sliced cucumbers the next day.

Scale it for a crowd:

Storing Leftover Orzo Salad

• Refrigerate: in a covered container for up to 4 days. The orzo will soak up some dressing overnight, so stir in a tiny splash of lemon juice or a teaspoon of olive oil before serving to wake it back up.
• Serve cold: straight from the fridge, or let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes so the olive oil softens. It is never bad cold, but the flavors are more rounded when it loses the deep chill.

What Goes Well With Orzo Pasta Salad

This salad pairs naturally with grilled lamb chops or chicken skewers because the lemon and oregano tie the whole plate together. It also works next to a simple piece of pan-seared salmon, where the richness of the fish plays against the sharp, briny notes. For a full spread, set it out with warm pita, hummus, and some marinated artichoke hearts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I serve it cold or at room temperature?

Either works. I usually pull it from the fridge 15 minutes before serving so the olive oil loosens up and the salad tastes brighter.

Can I use a different pasta shape?

Yes, but small shapes work best. Ditalini, couscous, or small shells all catch the dressing nicely. Avoid long noodles.

What if I do not like olives?

Leave them out and add a tablespoon of capers for a similar salty pop, or just double the feta and cucumber.

How do I stop the orzo from clumping together?

Rinse it thoroughly with cold water right after draining, and toss it with a tiny bit of olive oil. Do not skip the rinse, or the starch will glue the grains into a block.

Orzo Pasta Salad Recipe

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 310

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup dry orzo pasta
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp kosher salt, plus more for pasta water
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ English cucumber, diced small
• ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
• ⅓ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Method

 

1. Boil orzo in salted water until tender, about 9 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and toss with a drizzle of olive oil.
2. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until emulsified.
3. Add tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives, feta, and most of the parsley to the dressing.
4. Fold in the cooled orzo, taste for seasoning, and serve topped with the remaining parsley.

Notes

If you are making this ahead, hold back a small handful of feta and parsley to scatter on top just before serving. The salad is at its best after a 10-minute rest, so give it that little bit of time if you can.