Chicken-Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese

58 Reviews
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6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups salad and 1 tablespoon cheese)
By Laura Zapalowski
April 2008
RECIPE BY Cooking Light

This delicious salad is ready in a snap thanks to rotisserie chicken and a four-ingredient vinaigrette. Leftover salad is also good the next day for lunch; stir in a handful of arugula to add a fresh touch, if you have extra on hand. Serve with pita wedges.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
  • 3 cups chopped grilled chicken breast strips (such as Tyson)
  • 1 1/2 cups trimmed arugula
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 1/4 cup prechopped red onion
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

Nutritional Information

  • Calories 295
  • Caloriesfromfat 23%
  • Fat 7.7g
  • Satfat 2.9g
  • Monofat 2.8g
  • Polyfat 1.1g
  • Protein 24.4g
  • Carbohydrate 32.1g
  • Fiber 2g
  • Cholesterol 55mg
  • Iron 2.4mg
  • Sodium 788mg
  • Calcium 40mg

How to Make It

Step 1

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well.

Step 2

Combine pasta, chicken, and the next 6 ingredients (through oregano) in a large bowl; toss well.

Step 3

Combine vinegar, oil, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle vinegar mixture over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.

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Ratings & Reviews

showmeyourknits's Review

Jennajmb23
August 05, 2012
Excellent! I modified it by adding baby spinach instead of arugula and used feta instead of goat cheese.

KayEllen's Review

RaeByrd1982
October 23, 2014
Triple the oil and vinegar and double the amount of goat cheese; use rotisserie chicken. This is my go-to beach dish. Really light, I think the peppery taste of the arugula makes it perfect. Great for tailgating too.

yannie's Review

Jessica
May 04, 2009
I did not like the arugula. Need to increase the oil and vinegar for added flavor. I also roasted a split chicken breast and cut it off the bone. It melted in my mouth

RaeByrd1982's Review

tryin2cook
September 22, 2013
This was awesome! My four yr old ate it up, whole family enjoyed it. I did use kale instead of arugula.

Jaymie's Review

Purduekel
August 04, 2010
Delicious and perfect for summer. My husband liked it too. Probably could use less orzo and a little more dressing. Super leftovers the next day. Will definitely make this again.

AD2001's Review

Clarebh
May 15, 2012
I found this recipe, looking for an alternative to the normal pasta salad...an instant HIT! I make it as a vegetarian dish, and a a side with either grilled chicken or fish. I've never prepared it with the store bought chicken, but always with my own grilled chicken.

JLBrooks321's Review

Luckylassy
February 04, 2014
It is exactly what three stars indicates- a good, solid recipe. Great flavor. Looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

ShannonTaylor's Review

ticlita
June 07, 2010
Used freeze dried herbs, yellow pepper and leftover rotisserie chicken and whole wheat orzo. Easy and great. The kids even loved it (4 and 6).

RobinWeb's Review

kufb50
May 12, 2011
Easy midweek dinner. Added the goat cheese when the orzo was still hot, so it melted and made the dish creamy...I'm sure it addressed the lack of flavor/lack of dressing that other reviewers noted. I made a couple of other changes too. I used parsley instead of oregano and shallots instead of red onion because that's what I prefer. Also, eliminated the arugula (my kids don't like it) and served it with a Caesar Salad.

ShawneyBell's Review

kjshan
August 12, 2014
N/A