Lemony Orzo Pasta Salad with Cucumber and Feta
This fresh lemon orzo pasta salad is a flavorful mix of orzo pasta, lemon, cucumber, salty feta, and fresh herbs. Easy and delicious, this quick pasta salad recipe is a crowd-pleasing side dish and a classic Summer favorite. Vegetarian and gluten free friendly.
A Bright and Fresh Summer Pasta Salad
This Greek-inspired orzo pasta salad is one of those incredibly simple and unassuming recipes that has wound its way into our back pocket, edging out fancier, more complicated fare, time and again.
Especially in the summer, when the weather is ripe for languishing, inspiration feels most elusive, and it’s certainly too hot to turn on the oven. When I want something light and fresh, with zippy, bright flavors, but can’t be all that bothered to spend a lot of time cooking.
Cue this light and refreshing orzo pasta salad. Boiling pasta and chopping some veggies is about the extent of the cooking here and yet the flavors are sublime.
The orzo pasta is tossed with olive oil, fresh lemon (juice and zest), chopped cucumber, a big handful of herbs, and salty feta for an easy summer salad that makes a delicious and versatile barbecue or pot-luck side dish.
Why you’ll love this orzo pasta salad
For a pasta salad that is undeniably simple, this combination of flavors and textures is brimming with complexity.
Crunchy cucumber, bright, tart lemon, creamy, salty, crumbly feta cheese, herb-y freshness from mint and parsley. And, the orzo pasta, which, while warm from a quick, salty boil, with its ever so al dente chew, soaks up the most basic lemon-olive oil dressing, further ensuring that every bite of this pasta packs a delicious punch.
It’s balanced, fresh and bright, and you’ll want to eat it all summer long.
Orzo Pasta Salad Ingredients
As with most pasta salads, things are flexible. You can easily add whatever you like best and have on hand. This is my favorite combination (think of it as a blueprint), and here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- orzo: forms the base of this easy pasta salad. This small, rice-like pasta shape is perfect for a chopped salad like this, where you want little bits of each flavor in every bite.
- olive oil: since we’re not cooking the olive oil, I like to use a good quality extra-virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
- lemon: to add brightness and acidity, we’ll use both fresh lemon juice and zest. If you can find Meyer lemons, they’re my favorite here.
- cucumber: adds so much freshness and crunch. Either chopped English cucumber or small Persian cucumbers work well.
- feta: big crumbles of feta add a salty, creamy richness.
- fresh herbs: mint and parsley are my go-tos for a fresh, light, Mediterranean-inspired flavor. Fresh basil and dill are also lovely.
- salt and pepper: as always, taste as you go, and season generously along the way with Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper.
Find all the exact measurements and recipe instructions below.
What is orzo?
Orzo is a tiny rice shaped pasta. Its name comes from the Italian word for “barley” because it resembles the small grain. It’s wonderful in soups, cheesy baked pasta dishes, and of course, pasta salad.
My favorite is from DeLallo, and there are gluten-free versions available as well.
How to make this quick orzo pasta salad:
This healthy pasta salad comes together quickly in a few easy steps. Here’s how you make it:
- Cook the orzo al dente in a large pot of generously salted water.
- While the orzo cooks, zest and juice the lemon, and chop the cucumbers and herbs.
- Toss the warm cooked pasta with olive oil and lemon juice in a large bowl, then combine with the veggies, herbs, and feta. Be sure to season well!
Simple as can be. Packed with summer-y goodness and perfect for sharing. Enjoy!!
Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad FAQs
Sure! Kalamata olives or other Greek olives are lovely. As are finely diced red onion, bell pepper, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, or pine nuts. Fresh dill or basil are great as well.
This pasta salad is a pretty classic side dish, and gets along well with all your cookout favorites. It can also easily be made a meal. Simply toss with some grilled chicken, shrimp, salmon, or chickpeas for a protein boost.
Yes. This lemon orzo salad is super flexible and can be made the day before. Simply chill until ready to serve. The flavors will marinate together in the fridge and can be enjoyed for 2-3 days.
More Summer-y side dishes to make next:
- Summer squash grain salad with feta and corn
- Healthy broccoli salad with lemon tahini dressing
- Roasted tomato caprese pasta salad
If you make this lemon orzo pasta salad recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #forkknifeswoon and leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it! ★★★★★ Star ratings are especially helpful because they help others find my recipes too. xo, Laura
PrintLemony Orzo Pasta Salad with Cucumber and Feta
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad, savory
- Cuisine: Greek Inspired
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This fresh lemon orzo pasta salad is a flavorful mix of orzo pasta, lemon, cucumber, salty feta, and fresh herbs. Easy and delicious, this quick pasta salad recipe is a crowd-pleasing side dish and a classic Summer favorite. Vegetarian and gluten free friendly.
Ingredients
- 1–1/2 cups dry orzo pasta ¹
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, or just enough to lightly coat the pasta
- 1 medium lemon, juiced and zested
- 1 large English cucumber, seeded and chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled ²
- kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt, and cook the orzo al dente according to package directions (about 9 minutes).
- Meanwhile, prep the cucumbers and herbs. Set aside.
- Drain the pasta, let cool for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a large mixing bowl and toss with the olive oil and lemon juice. Stir in the lemon zest, chopped cucumber, herbs, and feta.
- Season generously with salt and pepper, to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!!
Notes
¹ Make it gluten free: swap in a gluten free orzo, like this one from DeLallo.
² I imagine you could also make this pasta salad dairy free with a plant-based feta cheese substitute.
This orzo pasta salad can be made up to a day in advance and kept in the refrigerator.
Keywords: lemon orzo pasta salad, cucumber, feta, greek inspired, herb
Originally published May 23, 2013. Updated with new photos and recipe notes.
I absolutely love this recipe. What is the nutritional information for this recipe? Thanks!
★★★★
I am making this salad today.
Hope you love it!
it was great. we’re having the leftovers today for lunch. thank you for the recipe. I made some pictures, so I think I’ll be posting this sometime soon. I hope that is ok with you.
Thanks so much for letting me know! I’m so glad that you loved the recipe as much as we do!
I wanted to like this based on the ingredients, but I made it and it was not good at all. Followed the recipe exactly. Took it to a Potluck and no one ate hardly any of it. I don’t blame them. It was just not good. I’m not sure how to fix it. Orzo with cucumbers was completely unappetizing together. Tasted blah. The only thing good about it was the Feta.
Hi Pam, I’m sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy the recipe. If you followed the recipe exactly, then it probably just comes down to personal taste. This is a favorite potluck salad in our house, and one of the most popular reader recipes on the site. Lots of other readers have made and enjoyed it, but I’m sorry you weren’t one of them! At least there was feta… 🙂
The first time i made it, we found it a bit bland, too, but the key part of the recipe I needed to adjust was “salt and black pepper to taste”. I had not used enough salt. When I ate the leftovers, I added a bit more salt and it made ALL the difference. Now I know, not just a couple of shakes, I need to actually keep tasting it until there is enough salt to enhance all the flavors that are just waiting to be unlocked!
When I read this recipe I knew I had to try it. I found the pine nuts at a cost club for ptetry inexpensive but went ahead and burnt the first batch for good measure ha ha .We all loved it
Great simple recipe. I too added some chickpeas and also black olives. Thank you for the simple but yummy recipe!
This recipe lends itself to add-ons as well. I added defrosted frozen peas and blanched asparagus as well as switching out the olive oil for Italian Dressing. For protein I put a grilled chicken breast on top. It was great! My pregnant wife cleaned her bowl more than once, so I would say success 😀
★★★★
Delicious! I added a chicken breast and ate it for lunch this week. I can’t wait to try your other recipes!
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I just made this and it’s delicious!! I added some fresh dill, chickpeas and white balsamic vinegar. Wow!!
★★★★★
So yummy! And super duper easy!
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Making this tonight!! Glad Audrey’s posted a link to this.
This looks delicious! We have been playing around with orzo pasta this summer and this definitely on our MUST try list!!!
Made this yummy salad for dinner tonight! My husband LOVED it! I added scallions and more feta than called for. Thanks for the recipe and for taking such a gorgeous photo that I just had to try it!
I just made this today to serve along some grilled chicken kabobs. This orzo salad it’s sooo good! Simple, easy to make and perfect for hot summer nights. Thank you!!
Thanks, Ana! I’m so glad you liked it!
I have made this twice now and it is absolutely delicious. It is even better the next day!
★★★★★
I totally agree! The orzo soaks up all the yumminess… 🙂
Have just discovered this blog via a recipe share on Facebook. Happy day! Firstly, I have to say how wonderful it is to come across someone on the Net who writes well, can not only spell “finagle” correctly but obviously knows what the word means, can punctuate, and does not turn plurals into possessives. How happy an experience to not have to read “salad with lemon’s and cucumber’s and mint’s”. Secondly (but not really, more of a dead tie), the food writing and recipes are lovely.
Georgia, thank you so much for your kind words! I’m glad other people enjoy words like “finagle” too! 🙂
LOVE the looks of this orzo!
Thank you, Marla!
Very refreshing. Substituted blue cheese for feta – hubby is not a fan of feta. Added a tablespoon of fresh lemon basil. So yummy!
★★★★★
Yummmmmmm!
Thank you! 🙂
This is such a simple recipe with great, refreshing flavors! I’ve pinned this because it’s a must try at my house!
Thank you, Julie! I’m a big fan of simple recipes.
I’m going to pick up a cucumber and some Feta today and make this! OMG. LOVE lemon. LOVE orzo! Also the Cucumber Lime Agua Frescas sounds heavenly!
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Thank you, Sue! I love lemon with pasta… the Agua Frescas are super refreshing too!