Orzo Pesto Salad

This easy orzo pesto salad is light, fresh, and bursting with summer flavors. It’s made with juicy tomatoes, mozzarella balls, crunchy veggies, and basil pesto. It's ready in under 30 minutes and great as a side dish or light meal—just add your favorite protein!

5 from 8 votes

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Total Time 10

Serving servings

Ingredients

Healthy Pesto:

½ - ⅔ cups this basil pesto recipe, or store-bought

Orzo Salad:

1 ½ cups uncooked orzo
1 medium English cucumber, cut into quarter moons
2 cups sweet cherry tomatoes, halved
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup mini pearl mozzarella balls, drained

Instructions

Make Orzo: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add orzo. Cook al-dente according to the package instructions. I like to reduce the cooking time by 1 - 2 minutes. Then, strain and run under cold water to stop it from cooking further. Set to the side.
Add Pesto: Add in 1 batch of this pesto without pine nuts. Alternatively, you can add ½ - ⅔ cups of store-bought pesto.
Assemble Salad: In a large bowl, toss the cooked orzo, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper, and mini pearl mozzarella balls. Drizzle the pesto over the salad and toss to coat. Enjoy!

Notes

Gluten-Free: I recommend substituting the orzo with gluten-free orzo.

Cook the orzo al-dente. The orzo will continue to cook after you remove it from the heat and strain it. Cooking it al dente keeps the orzo tender after it cools. No one wants a mushy, overcooked orzo salad.

Let the orzo cool before you add the pesto and veggies. If you toss hot orzo with the fresh cucumber, tomatoes, and bell pepper, they’ll get soft and wilt. I recommend draining the cooked orzo and running it under cold water to cool it. Make sure to dry it off before adding the pesto.

Add protein. To make this a full meal, feel free to add grilled chicken, salmon, shrimp, or steak to the salad.

Storing: Store leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Course Appetizer, Salad, Side

Cuisine American, Healthy, Italian

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