Summer Orzo Salad
Want to know my number one secret for restaurant-worthy salads at home? MAKE. YOUR. OWN. DRESSING. Sound complicated or time consuming? I promise it's not. A good homemade dressing can be whipped up in 5 minutes or less with just a few core components and tastes WAY better than anything you’ll find at the store. Plus you’re in total control of the ingredients and can skip the refined sugars, oils, and preservatives. This Summer Orzo Salad has the perfect dressing fyi!
Servings 4 servings
Calories 414kcal
Equipment
- Oven
- Saucepan
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten free orzo cooked and cooled
- 1 lb mini sweet peppers
- 1 tbsp olive oil optional
- salt and pepper
- 6 cups mixed greens
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 English cucumber chopped
- 14 oz marinated artichokes drained and chopped
- 1 cup sweet corn
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- ¼ cup Italian parsley chopped
Lemon Herb Vinaigrette Ingredients
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp roasted tahini or olive oil
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- ½ tsp dried basil
- 1-2 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the sweet peppers. Drizzle with olive oil if desired and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes until edges are slightly charred. Remove from the oven and cool just until they’re comfortable to handle. Pull out the stems and coarsely chop.
- While the peppers are roasting, add all ingredients for the dressing to a jar and whisk with a fork to combine. Alternatively, you can mix in a blender for extra creaminess and emulsification.
- Add the greens, orzo, peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, artichokes, sweet corn pine nuts, and parsley to a large salad bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
Notes
**Double or triple this recipe to save time later on! This dressing can be kept in the fridge for up to a month!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 414kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 433mg | Potassium: 884mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 6066IU | Vitamin C: 221mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 4mg
