Macrina's Orzo Salad With Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Basil and Feta
photo by PalatablePastime
- Ready In:
- 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 23
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 1 cup walnut halves
- 1 cucumber
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- kosher salt
- 1 1⁄2 cups dry orzo pasta
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1⁄2 cup kalamata olive, pitted and halved
- 1⁄2 cup diced scallion
- 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1 1⁄4 cups crumbled feta cheese
- salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1⁄3 cup lemon vinaigrette
-
LEMON VINAIGRETTE
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1⁄3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, freshly grated
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon white pepper
- 3⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
directions
- SALAD.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spread the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast on the center rack of the oven for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Let cool, then coarsely chop and set aside.
- Peel and core the cucumber and cut it into 1/2-inch cubes.
- Core the red and yellow peppers and cut them into 1/2-inch-square pieces.
- Set aside.
- Fill a large saucepan two-thirds full of water.
- Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
- Drop in the pasta and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender.
- Remove the pan from the heat and drain the pasta in a colander, then cool the pasta by running cold tap water over the colander for a few minutes.
- Shake the colander to remove excess water and transfer the cooled pasta to a medium bowl.
- Toss with the olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking together.
- Add the toasted walnuts, cucumbers, peppers, olives, scallions, basil, parsley and feta.
- Drizzle in the Lemon Vinaigrette and toss well.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- LEMON VINAIGRETTE yield: 1 1/4 cups.
- Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in a medium bowl.
- Mix well with a whisk.
- Add the oil in a slow stream, whisking as you pour.
- Continue whisking until the dressing has emulsified, then cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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Reviews
-
I made this for a recent Zaarfest and while I liked the salad in general, as another reviewer said, the dressing is a little heavy on the oil. I also couldn't taste the lemon, although I used the juice of 1-1/2 lemons. Next time I make this, I will cut back a bit on the oil and replace some of the lemon juice with wine vinegar. I feel that will improve the flavour enormously. I found also that this salad tastes better after being in the fridge for a couple of days.
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Just made this for the second time and it was once again delicious. I sauteed some chicken in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper, then shredded it and added it to the salad for some extra kick and a little protein. The only other changes I made were to leave out the walnuts and parsley, just a personal preference. Thanks for posting!!
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Tweaks
-
I made this for a recent Zaarfest and while I liked the salad in general, as another reviewer said, the dressing is a little heavy on the oil. I also couldn't taste the lemon, although I used the juice of 1-1/2 lemons. Next time I make this, I will cut back a bit on the oil and replace some of the lemon juice with wine vinegar. I feel that will improve the flavour enormously. I found also that this salad tastes better after being in the fridge for a couple of days.
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