Description
Summer Orzo Salad is a delightful dish that captures the essence of warm weather with its vibrant mix of fresh vegetables and zesty flavors. This colorful salad features tender orzo pasta combined with crisp asparagus, sweet corn, and juicy cherry tomatoes, all beautifully dressed in a homemade lemon herb vinaigrette. Perfect for summer barbecues, picnics, or as a quick and healthy side dish, this salad is not only delicious but also incredibly versatile. Serve it warm or chilled, and feel free to customize it with your favorite seasonal ingredients. Elevate your dining experience with this light and refreshing dish that everyone will love.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups orzo (uncooked)
- Salt
- 1 pound asparagus (trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 2 ears of corn (shucked and cleaned)
- 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1 garlic clove (minced)
- 1 small shallot (minced)
- 1 tablespoon parsley (minced)
- 1 tablespoon basil (minced)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Juice from 1 large lemon
Instructions
- Prepare the vinaigrette by whisking olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, shallot, parsley, and basil in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a large skillet, bring water and salt to a boil. Add orzo and cook for 8 minutes, then add asparagus and whole corn cobs. Simmer until the orzo is al dente.
- Drain excess water and let the mixture cool slightly.
- Sear the corn in a hot skillet for 2 minutes on each side until charred. Cut kernels off the cob.
- In a large bowl, combine cooked orzo mix, corn kernels, halved tomatoes, and vinaigrette. Toss gently to coat.
- Serve warm or chill before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (240g)
- Calories: 270
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 0mg