Spring Orzo Salad
Prep 15M | Chill 1Hr| Enjoy in 1Hr 15M
Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta that is the perfect choice for pasta salads. This dish is packed with bright spring vegetables and finished with a fresh citrus vinaigrette. As a bonus, this salad can be made ahead for family gatherings or for lunches during the week! This recipe is part of our April meal plan.
Ingredients:
8 oz orzo pasta
¾ cup frozen green peas, thawed
1 6 oz jar artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1 cup chopped asparagus
3 cups arugula
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup sliced green onions
¼ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon peel
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, finely grated
2 tsp pure maple syrup
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground pepper
Directions:
- Cook orzo in boiling salted water just until tender, about eight minutes. In the last two minutes of cooking, add asparagus to pasta water. Cook until tender, about two minutes. Drain. Do not rinse. Set aside to cool. (Pasta will stick together as it cools, but that is ok!)
- In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, oil, mustard, garlic, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.
- In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, peas, artichoke hearts, asparagus, arugula, tomatoes, green onions, basil and cheese.
- Pour dressing over top and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for one hour, or up to overnight.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutritional facts:
Serves 8
Nutritional analysis per one cup serving
203 calories
8 g fat
7 g protein
30 g carbohydrate (24 g available carbohydrate)
6 g fibre
394 mg sodium