Vegan Greek Orzo Salad
Vegan Greek Orzo Salad with tomatoes, basil, and vegan feta cheese is the perfect fresh and vibrant side dish the whole family will love! Ready in 30 minutes, vegan, and gluten free optional.
I love this super simple side dish that comes together really quickly! It’s perfect to pack for travel, makes a great addition to lunch boxes, and is a crowd favorite at summer picnics and parties.
Want more Mediterranean inspired recipes? Make sure to check out my Classic Vegan Greek Salad, my Italian Lentil and Spinach Soup, or my Lemon Lentil Salad!
Ingredients
Here is a quick overview on what you’ll need to make this salad.
- Orzo Salad: You’ll need some orzo or other small pasta noodles, as well as a nice mix of vegetables like cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, and Kalamata olives.
- Dressing: A simple dressing made with lots of lemon juice, Dijon mustard, vegan mayo, oregano, sugar (or maple syrup), salt, and pepper.
- Finishing Touches: Some crumbled vegan feta is optional but adds such a cool and creamy texture to this salad! Finish it off with ribbons of fresh basil and it’s delicious!
Tip! Need to make this gluten free? You totally can! Search out some gluten free orzo or use your other favorite small shaped gluten free pasta.
Instructions
Make sure to check out the recipe card below for the full recipe and ingredient list.
Step One: Make the Orzo
Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the orzo according to package directions. For most pasta, this is about 10 minutes of cooking. After, drain the pasta and run it under cool water so that the pasta stops cooking and won’t turn soggy. Set it aside.
Tip! Orzo is a small shaped pasta and can be hard to give it flavor. To make the orzo as flavorful as possible, try adding some vegetable broth into the cooking water. I do this for every orzo salad I make and it really adds a nice depth of flavor!
Step Two: Prep the Veggies
Prepare the salad ingredients by chopping all the veggies into bite sized pieces. Quarter the cherry tomatoes, finely chop the cucumbers, slice the olives into little rings, and finely dice the red peppers.
Step Three: Mix the Dressing
In a bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vegan mayo, Dijon mustard, oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper.
Step Four: Bring it All Together
Finally it’s time to mix it all together! In a large bowl, combine the cooked orzo, chopped veggies, and dressing. Crumble in some vegan feta and sprinkle in some freshly chopped basil. Give it a good stir and you’re done!
Tip! For maximum flavor, allow the salad to marinate for about an hour so that the orzo has a chance to soak up the sauce.
What to Serve
Obviously you can serve this as a side dish for about 10 large servings. It’s a perfect summertime salad (think BBQs and Memorial Day or July 4th) when served with:
- Burgers & Sandwiches: This is delicious when served with some BBQ Lentil burgers or alongside a Tofu Salad Sandwich or a Chickpea of the Sea Sandwich.
- Other Green Salads: You can’t go wrong adding a Classic Greek Salad to go with this!
How to Store
Fridge: Keep any leftover orzo salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing this salad as the raw crisp vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers are best fresh and not frozen
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Equipment
- pot
- Mixing bowls
- Mixing spoons
- measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 cup orzo
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 2 cups cucumbers
- 1 cup bell pepper chopped
- ½ cup Kalamata olives sliced
- ⅓ cup vegan feta cheese optional
- Handful fresh basil leaves
For the Dressing
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons vegan mayo
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup or sugar
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil the orzo. Bring a medium sized pot of water to boil and cook the orzo pasta according to package directions. For most orzo, this is about 10 minutes of cooking. When the orzo is done, drain and rinse the pasta under cool water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- Prepare the vegetables. While the orzo is cooking, wash and chop all the vegetables for the salad. Quarter the cherry tomatoes and the olives, finely chop the red bell pepper and the cucumbers. Crumble the vegan feta, if using. And cut the fresh basil into ribbons.
- Mix the dressing. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vegan mayo, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, oregano, salt, and pepper. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
- Combine and serve. Finally, into a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir together to evenly coat the salad in dressing. Taste for seasoning and enjoy!
Notes
- How to Store
- Fridge: Keep any leftover orzo salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing this salad as the raw crisp vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers are best fresh and not frozen.
Nutrition
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Thanks, this was great over the weekend. Orzo got a little mushy after a day in the fridge and it soaked up the dressing. Best the day it was made. Will be making it again soon.
Thank you! So glad that you liked it and I agree that fresh is best for this salad. Enjoy!