Lemon-Orzo Salad

 We interrupt this regularly scheduled Wedding Wednesday program for some delish food!  I realize it's been awhile since I've done a recipe, and I think that just because time got away from me, and cooking and taking pictures, then doing the blog, well it's time consuming, and I've been busy.

But I found this salad last summer, and have made it quite a bit over the past year, so I thought it would be perfect to share.  It's a Lemon Orzo Salad that I found here, and one thing I love about this recipe is that it's so interchangeable!  You can do just about anything with it.  I've only made it with the chicken once, as I usually make it as a side, I've also changed the veggies.  I've done tomato's, zucchini, squash etc...  This recipe works with just about anything!

I recently made this dish to bring to a birthday party, so I made a BIG serving.  And for this occasion I followed the recipe as is but with no chicken.  For a normal side you could easily cut this recipe in half (or more depending on the size of your family). 

What you'll need:

Orzo pasta, Lemon, EVOO, Minced garlic, Honey, S & P, Cucumber, Red Bell Pepper, Green Onions, Fresh Dill, and Feta Cheese. 



First things first.  Cook your pasta, as you need to give it time to cool.



All your pretty veggies!  I love a colorful meal!

Cut up your veggies.  I cut up a whole cucumber, a whole big red bell pepper, and 4 green onions.
Again for a normal portion, you only need 1/2 a cucumber, 1/2 a pepper, and 2 green onions.

Make your dressing.  I sorta just wing it and taste it to make sure nothing needs adjusting.
Some Extra Virgin Olive Oil, some Honey (we have some homemade honey from Chris' grandmother's ranch!, YUM!), lemon juice and rind, minced garlic, S & P to taste, whisk it all together.

Mix all your chopped up veggies into the cool and cooked orzo pasta.

Stir in the dressing, some feta cheese, and chopped up fresh dill.
So delicious!!!

 That's it.  Pretty simple, and full of flavor.  It's perfect summer side as it isn't too heavy and very light, but again the flavor is plentiful!  Enjoy!

Here are the directions from the cooking site:

Lemon-Orzo Salad with Veggies and Chicken

Adapted from Cooking Light

3/4 C uncooked orzo pasta

1/4 tsp grated lemon rind

3 Tbs fresh lemon juice

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/4 tsp honey

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 C cooked shredded or diced boneless, skinless chicken

1/2 C diced cucumber

1/2 C diced red bell pepper

1/3 C sliced green onions

1 Tbs chopped fresh dill, or 1 tsp dried dill

1/2 C crumbled feta cheese

Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until pasta feels cool to the touch. Drain and place in a large salad bowl.

While orzo cooks, combine lemon rind, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, garlic, honey, and black pepper. Whisk to combine.

Add chicken, cucumber, bell pepper, green onions, and dill to pasta. Drizzle with dressing and toss to combine. Divide onto 4 plates and sprinkle with feta.