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Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad
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4.89 from 27 votes

Herb-Lovers Lemony Orzo Salad

This Herb-Lovers Lemony Orzo Salad is full of fresh and zesty ingredients that everyone will love!  Perfect for serving as a main dish or side, and easy to customize with your favorite add-ins.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: bean, make ahead, pasta, vegetarian
Servings: 4 -6 servings

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces uncooked orzo (or any pasta shape)
  • 2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach chopped
  • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) rinsed and drained
  • 1 English cucumber diced
  • half a small red onion diced
  • 1 cup roughly-chopped fresh basil leaves
  • 1 cup roughly-chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 1-2 lemons zested and juiced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper to taste
  • optional: 1/2 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta in a large stockpot of generously-salted water until al dente, according to package instructions.  Drain pasta then rinse thoroughly in a strainer with cold water until the pasta is chilled.  Transfer pasta to a large mixing bowl.
  • Add the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl (using cheese if desired).  Toss until evenly combined.  Taste, and season with a few generous pinches of salt and pepper, to taste.  (I used about 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.)  Also feel free to add in extra lemon juice if you'd like an extra-lemony salad.  (
  • Serve immediately.  Or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.