Warm Orzo Salad With Mint And Feta Recipes

ORZO SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta according to the package directions, or until slightly past al dente. Drain the orzo and toss it with a little olive oil, so that it doesn't stick together. Spread onto a baking sheet to cool.
• Prepare the Greek Salad Dressing and add in the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, and sea salt.
• In a large bowl, toss together the cooked orzo, cucumbers, tomatoes, chickpeas, feta, red onion, and olives. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, add half the herbs, season with freshly ground black pepper, and toss to coat. Garnish with the remaining herbs and serve.

ORZO WITH CHERRY TOMATOES, FETA AND MINT

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, about 7 minutes.
• While the pasta is cooking, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and garlic, and saute until the shallots begin to soften and the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook just to warm through, about 1 minute.
• Add the warm tomato mixture to a large bowl along with the feta, arugula, mint, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Drain the orzo and add it to the bowl. Drizzle with the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. Toss well and serve.

MEDITERRANEAN ORZO SALAD

Steps:

• Cook the orzo pasta according package instructions (mine took about 8 minutes). Drain and cool briefly.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the grape tomatoes, green onions, bell peppers, parsley, dill, olives and capers (hold the feta for now). Add the orzo pasta.
• Make the dressing. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, lemon zest, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, oregano and a good pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Whisk to combine.
• Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until well combined and the orzo pasta is well coated with the dressing.
• Top with pieces of creamy feta cheese. Cover and refrigerate for a bit before serving.

HERBED ORZO WITH FETA

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.
• Add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.

MINTY ORZO LENTIL AND FETA SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes; drain. Transfer pasta into a large bowl, and mix in 1 tablespoon olive oil; cover, and refrigerate until cool.
• Place lentils into a small saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cover, and simmer over low heat until lentils are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
• Combine the remaining olive oil, vinegar, and garlic in a small bowl.
• Remove pasta from refrigerator; add lentils, oil mixture, olives, feta cheese, red onion, mint, and dill; stir until thoroughly blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

WARM ORZO SALAD WITH GRILLED SHRIMP AND FETA DOWNER-HAZELL

Steps:

• Prepare shrimp:
• Mince garlic and in a bowl whisk together with lemon juice, oil, oregano, pepper, and salt to taste. Shell shrimp and devein, if desired, and add to marinade, stirring to coat well. Marinate shrimp, covered and chilled, 1 hour. Prepare grill. Soak skewers in warm water 30 minutes.
• While grill is heating, fill a 6-quart kettle three fourths full with salted water and bring to a boil for orzo. Trim sugar snap peas. Chop tomatoes and thinly slice white and pale green parts of scallions. Finely chop parsley.
• Make dressing:
• Chop garlic and in a blender blend with remaining dressing ingredients until dressing is emulsified.
• Stir orzo into boiling water and cook until al dente. Add snap peas and cook 15 seconds. Drain pasta and peas and transfer to a large bowl. Cool pasta 5 minutes and stir in feta, tomatoes, scallions, and parsley. Add dressing to salad and toss well. Season salad with salt and pepper.
• Thread shrimp onto skewers, discarding marinade. Grill shrimp on an oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. (Alternatively, grill shrimp in a hot lightly oiled well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderately high heat.) Push shrimp off skewers into salad and toss gently.

ORZO SALAD WITH PEPPERS AND FETA

Steps:

• Cook orzo in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta, pressing out excess liquid. Spread out on a baking sheet to cool.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion, bell peppers and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato and cook, stirring occasionally, until broken down and juices release, about 8 minutes.
• Add the reserved pasta water and stir to scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the skillet. Transfer vegetable mixture to a large bowl to cool slightly to lukewarm, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to speed up the cooling process. Discard thyme sprig.
• Add cooled orzo, lemon juice, basil and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix well, then transfer to a large serving bowl or platter. Garnish with more basil.