Springtime Eats: Orzo Salad

As spring comes into town, I crave a nice and light pasta salad. My orzo salad is perfect with your favorite burger or sandwich. You can adjust the measurements easily to feed a bigger crowd. This suits my small fam of three just fine.

I like to top mine with a little feta, but it works just as well cheeseless.

This tastes great at room temp or chilled. Enjoy!

Orzo Salad
Makes 6 side dish servings

1 cup orzo
1 15 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
1 cup red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
2 Tbsp. fresh basil minced
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, minced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
To serve: Crumbled feta cheese

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook orzo according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cool water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a bowl combine chickpeas, bell pepper, grape tomatoes.

In a liquid measuring cup, add red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk vigorously to emulsify.

Add cooled orzo to bowl with veggies. Add the dressing to the bowl. Toss lightly with a spoon. Add basil and parsley. Toss again. Adjust seasonings if desired.

Serve with a sprinkle of crumbled feta cheese if you like.