Orzo Salad

Recipe courtesy Giadia De Laurentis

Show: Everyday ItalianEpisode: Beach Party

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (291)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(291)

Cook Time:
10 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
6 servings

Times:

Prep: 10 min
Inactive Prep: 20 min
Cook: 10 min
Total:: 40 min

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Ingredients

Orzo Salad
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups orzo
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups red and yellow teardrop tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
About 3/4 cup Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Pour the broth into a heavy large saucepan. Cover the pan and bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Stir in the orzo. Cover partially and cook until the orzo is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Drain the orzo through a strainer. Transfer the orzo to a large wide bowl and toss until the orzo cools slightly. Set aside to cool completely.

Toss the orzo with the beans, tomatoes, onion, basil, mint, and enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper, and serve at room temperature.

Red Wine Vinaigrette

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons honey

2 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Yield: 1 3/4 cups

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Orzo Salad
Kathy Owings Mills, MD 09-08-2009
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simple and tasty
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This salad was simple to make and very tasty, it travels well and tastes better after sitting a day. It is not the typical... summer pasta salad so works beautifully as a dish to bring to those summer picnics and potlucks. I would make sure not to cook the orzo more than 7 minutes as it gets kinda gluey and gummy as it cools. I substituted vidalia onion for the red onion because I find the red to be overpowering. Thanks Giada!Read more
recipe Orzo Salad
Jeanne Henderson, NV 08-30-2009
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Want to have a permanent craving?
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This is one of my all time favorites. It is so easy to make and this time making it I didn't have any lemon and it still... came out incredible. You have to try if you haven't already. So easy to transport anywhere and the wonderful thing about it is you don't have to put it in the frig. My fellow foodies go forward and enjoy!!Read more
recipe Orzo Salad
Erika Monroeville, PA 08-25-2009
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If you find the Red Onion Too Strong...
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

If you find the red onion to be too strong, just sautee the red onion in a teaspoon of olive oil until it becomes... translucent. It calms the onion down dramatically, but still lends the onion flavor to the dish...which is really does need.Read more
recipe Orzo Salad
null null, null 08-10-2009
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Delicious and Easy!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This pasta salad was very quick & easy to make. I think next time I'll reduce the amount of red onion as it does give quite a... bit of bite to the salad. I would even omit the onions if feeding this to kids. This is very light and refreshing, and I recommend this dish for picnics, hikes, lunches and potluck gatherings because it doesn't contain any ingredients that spoil easily like mayo, eggs, and meats. It's also a great base to make into a more substantial meal if desired. My husband and I had it with slices of leftover steak and shaved parmesan cheese, which was very yummy!Read more
recipe Orzo Salad
AMY Clayton, DE 08-03-2009
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A Salad Staple
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I have been making this Giada recipe for years and each and every time, I fall in love with it more and more! In my mind,... there is no better light summer salad that stands out from those usual heavy traditional salads you might find at a BBQ. I never change a thing to this recipe as I feel it needs the full dressing as well as the mint and red onion. It's colorful and wonderful! Thanks again Giada. Read more
recipe Orzo Salad
Peggy Montrose, CO 07-28-2009
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Time Consuming
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this salad for a family bbq, and it was a delicious hit! Even Pedro the parrot liked it. I did find it very time... consuming although the actual cooking time is short, as the only thing cooked is the orzo. The best thing about this salad was NO GARLIC. I love garlic as much as the next person, but it has gotten so ubitquitous it drowns out all flavors. I did end up with more than half my dressing left, so in the future, I'll make half that recipe. Also, the mint got tough from the dressing, so need to make sure the mint is chopped very small. Read more