Mediterranean Orzo Salad
This Mediterranean-inspired orzo salad is creamy, vibrant, and packed with textures and flavor. Tender orzo pasta is tossed with crisp broccoli, smoky bacon, sweet oranges, and tart dried cranberries, all coated in a light lemony dressing.
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Chill Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 55 minutes mins
Course Salad
Cuisine Mediterranean
whisk To blend the dressing Tongs For gently mixing salad ingredients
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta about 170g
- 1 cup chopped broccoli florets raw or lightly blanched
- 4 strips cooked bacon chopped
- ½ cup canned mandarin oranges drained
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese optional
- 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Cook the orzo according to package directions. Drain and let it cool completely.
In a small bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper to create a creamy lemon dressing.
In a large bowl, combine the cooled orzo, chopped broccoli, bacon, mandarin oranges, cranberries, red onion, and feta (if using).
Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss everything together with tongs until evenly coated.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors meld. Serve chilled.
This salad can be prepared up to a day ahead and stored in the fridge for easy entertaining or meal prep.
For a vegetarian version, omit the bacon and add extra feta or roasted chickpeas.
If your broccoli is too firm, blanch it in boiling water for 1–2 minutes to soften slightly before adding.
To make it dairy-free, substitute the Greek yogurt with a plant-based yogurt and skip the feta. Keyword orzo, pasta recipe
