An easy to whip up healthy orzo salad, loaded with veggies, legumes, and bright colorful antioxidants. It’s light with a homemade vinaigrette dressing.
This is a big batch recipe, perfect for Sunday meal prep. It should last 3-4 days in the fridge.
There are a whole lotta veggies incorporated into this salad – I found it was the perfect way to use up a lot of the produce I had in the fridge. Feel free to improvise with whatever you have on hand!
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 one pound box of orzo, cooked, rinsed and cooled
- 1/3 cup chopped red onion
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
- 1 cup diced bell peppers (I use a combination of red, orange and yellow)
- 1 cup artichoke hearts
- 1 cup black pitted olive (sliced)
- 1 medium zucchini diced
- 1 cup chick peas (aka garbanzo beans)
- 1 cup black beans
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
For the Dressing
- 2 tablespoons minced red onion
- 1 minced garlic clove (1-2 tablespoons)
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup honey
- Juice from 1/4 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano*
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil*
*If you happen to have some on your spice rack, you can use 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning instead of the oregano and basil (Italian seasoning already has those seasonings in it).
Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl, toss together all salad ingredients.
2. In a mason jar, combine all above dressing ingredients, secure the lid tightly, and shake well.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad, and mix together thoroughly.
I always find this salad tastes better the next day. It gives time for the pasta and the veggies to soak up the flavor of the dressing. The red onion and the purple cabbage do tend lend their colors to the rest of the salad, turning it a purply color after a day or so, so keep that in mind if you’re making ahead for sharing.
Enjoy!