Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Feta Vinaigrette

This is an excellent recipe! I’ve made it many times over the years for simple family meals or for special occasions. I once even made six batches for a wedding and there were no leftovers!

Amazingly easy and very good. My husband usually does not eat  half of the ingredients in this but he enjoyed it so much he rquested I make it again!!! However, I also added toasted pine nuts.

Yummy combination... great summer side

I have made this many times over the years.  It is always a hit.  I usually double it.  Great to take to potlucks or BBQs.

First made this salad last summer and it was such a crowd pleaser that we have started making it for bigger gatherings. I always get rave reviews and make it just like the recipe says.

Super delicious! I've made this recipe a few times now. One time I added chickpeas to the mix for a complete meal. It's a keeper.

This is my favorite orzo salad recipe!! I always double the recipe.

this was very tasty, easy, and quick to put together. Not a 'for company' kind of recipe, but pasta salads are not generally what one thinks of when company coming over. I threw in leftover rotisserie chicken - it gave it more of a 'meal' quality for a bigger eater. Served with a mixed greens salad and it was a great meal for a hot Texas summer day.

I used canned artichokes with allrecipes.com easy marinated artichoke recipes using mix of fresh herbs. so I could control fat etc. Was excellent and easy, look forward to leftovers.

I've made this salad many times for family and pot lucks. It is quick, easy and delicious. I'm often asked for the recipe. All ingredients are readily available at Trader Joe's

This is a GREAT salad! As most others who reviewed, I made some adjustments: no marinated artchoke hearts or sun dried tomatoes - instead, artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped; grape tomatoes cut in half, chopped cucumber, oregano, lemon juice and a good Greek dressing - I used Trader Joe's. Absolutely delicious - I will make this again and again.

I really like this recipe but made the several modifications. Added: veggie brats (I like Field Roast chorizo or apple sage), chickpeas, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, fresh chopped basil, chili powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and crushed red pepper. Omitted: olives. I also add extra spinach or top a green salad with this pasta salad. Delicious!

We'd give this 10 stars if we could. We make it all the time, especially for picnics and summer potlucks, and everyone always loves it. Sometimes I shake up the reserved artichoke marinade with a bit of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes and a splash of balsamic or red wine vinegar - YUM! I also use whole wheat orzo, and no one ever notices. :)

I make this salad quite frequently, it's absolutely delicious. I must admit, I do add more feta, Kalamata olives and baby spinach. I just add what ever "looks" good. Everyone I've served it to raves about it and always wants the recipe.

Sorry. It just didn't work for me. My husband & son wouldn't touch it. I ate what I could and then threw the rest out.

Easy and delicious dish! Full of flavor!

Wonderful summer dish!

I have been making this for years. Also add sweet red peppers and cherry tomatoes from the yard, a drizzle of olive oil and the best salad ever.

Wonderful! Didn't change a thing!

Great for potlucks and picnics. Easy to make ahead of time and travels well. I have been asked for this recipe many times.

Easy and delicious! I think this is a great salad for summer barbecues as well as a wonderful dish in winter when high-quality fresh produce is hard to come by. I added grilled chicken to the salad and made some of the adjustments suggested by previous reviewers...wilted the spinach with the pasta water, added some italian seasonings and olive oil. Also, rather than cutting the amount of orzo, I just added a little more of everything else.

Delicious! Added some rotisserie chicken breast, but otherwise followed the recipe with some additional salt and pepper.

Recently saw this recipe and have made it several times for large groups of people and it got rave reviews from everyone. I used organic baby spinach from Costco which is very reasonable. Only change I made after making it the first time was to add some Greek dressing to give it more flavor. Several friends have asked for the recipe and one even asked me if I would make it for a party she is having. Love, Love, Love it!!!!

This recipe was excellent! I didn't think it was too much orzo or too dry with the 1 cup of orzo. Only changes were I added about a 1/4 cup of olives and used a 6.5 oz bottle of artichoke hearts. It was good as written, but I think adding a little balsamic vinegar might be good as was mention by another reviewer.

We loved this recipe! So easy to prepare. I think next time I may try using cilantro and pine nuts. Thanks for sharing.

OUTSTANDING!! Love this. As per other reviewers, I did not add the entire amount of rice, delicious!!!!

Absolutely delicious! Served w rotisserie chicken. Making it again (second time in one week) for dinner party we're going to. I'd better print out the recipe, because everyone's going to want this one!

I made this recipe yesterday for a bridal shower I am going to today. I added all of the previous reviewers' suggestions (ie., cherry tomatoes, marinated mushrooms, cucumber, diced chicken, lemon juice, olive oil, greek seasoning, etc.), & let it all marinate all night. I tasted it this morning, & I must say it is AWESOME! I was afraid the spinach would get wilty, but it is lovely & crisp, & everything blends together wonderfully. This is not a recipe I would serve to my meat & potatoes husband, but for a group of "foodie" women, it is perfect. Can't wait to share it with them.

Made this for a cookout over the weekend and it was YUMMY!!! Made a couple adjustments to suit my taste and everyone was asking me for the recipe!! Will definitely make it again and again!

I followed the recipe but made a few minor adjustments. I added a bit of italian seasoning (oregano, marjoram, thyme), black pepper and a bit of sea salt for more flavor. I added 1 tsp of garlic powder and a 1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts to give the salad a nice, mild crunch. Very good pasta salad and great party dish.

had everything but the fresh spinach in the house. Dear husband brought home frozen instead. Dumped part of the bag into the colandar and poured the orzo on top to quick thaw veggies. Compliments were recived some someone who doesn't like 'that fancy food you make" snicker

I thought this recipie was solid, but I found the flavor of artichoke a little overpowering in the dressing which makes sense as the dressing is mostly comprised of the artichoke marinade. I did add some lemon juice, greek seasoning, and lemon juice to my feta and artichoke marinade to give the dressing a little more depth. I may just make a homemade greek viniagrette next time. I misread the recipie and accidentally added 2 bags of chopped spinach instead of just 2 cups, but I think this was a happy accident because I will do the same thing next time I make it. As a result of the extra spinach I believe I ended up with about 6 1 1/3 cup servings. I also tossed some grape tomatoes into the salad because I had to use them up and used rehydrated sundried tomatoes packed without oil. I figured these changes probably kept the increased portion size at roughly the same calorie equivalent as the original recipie.

yummy & easy!

This is Amazing, except it's 7pts per serving if you are on WW. A little high as a side dish.

I made this recipe for a BBQ and everyone loved it. I was asked by two people for the recipe but had misplaced it. I spent a week looking for it and finally found it. Phew! Will make again and again. A great summer dish!

This side dish was a hit! For 8 people, I used 1.5 cups of uncooked orzo, and doubled the other ingredients for the vinaigrette. As another reviewer recommended, when I drained the sun-dried tomatoes, I marinated them for several minutes in the artichoke heart marinade. In the end, there was more than enough for everyone with extra for left-overs! This is a great dish to prepare ahead of time and can be taken to picnics, potlucks, etc. For left-overs, will add chicken strips to make a great lunch. The colors and flavors in this side dish were wonderful!

Yeah, this is amazing. God it's soo good. I added some slices of grilled chicken breast because I try to eat a good amount of protein. This is really a keeper.

I have made this twice now. I love this salad. It is so refreshing and the flavors all go well together. I eat it as a meal by itself for lunch and with dinner you can add grilled or rotisserie chicken. Definately a favorite!

I made this dish for a graduation party. It was simple to make and everyone loved it. I modified it based on many of the suggestions in the reviews below. I would make it again and know it will become a favorite of mine for summertime dinners and get togethers.

Superb recipe with an interesting mix of healthy ingredients. Will add a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving, along with a sprinkling of sliced, roasted almonds. Yum! Perfect for a potluck.

I think this is a wonderful salad! I like having more orzo, so I cooked 2 cups orzo and used two packages of fresh marinated artichoke hearts (I find them at Whole Foods in with the veggies) and I use a tall jar of sundried tomatoes. I prefer to go by container sizes vs. measuring. Then I just chop as much baby spinach and onion as I would like and mix it all up. Delicious and not very time consuming. Pairs as a perfect side to Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce!!! I just made all of these recipes for family and everyone raved. I served it all with slices of watermelon and it was perfect. Today I used up a bunch of the leftover ingredients on an awesome tasting pizza. I used a whole wheat pizza crust (I get the two pack, premade kind at WF) - brush with olive oil. Sprinkle on a little garlic pepper, parmesan and mozzarella. Sliced the remaining red onion and caramelized it in the pan. Chop up baby spinach and broke up some of the left over chicken - put it all on the pizza & sprinkle on some of the crumbled feta and bake! DELICIOUS!!! I do wish I had had some sundried tomatoes left or some fresh on hand. But, it was great to use up my left overs for a meal. Had it with some of the orzo salad that was left. Perfect!!!

Wouldn't change this a bit. Fantastic!

Holy moly...this was delicious! I made this for myself to portion out and take to lunch this week. After reading the reviews I changed a few things: cut out the red onion (onions hurt my belly), reduced the orzo to 3/4 cup, and added 2 tablespoons balsamic viniagrette and 1 tablespoon olive oil. It was perfect. I'll definately make this again...perhaps as a side dish at a cook out.

This was GREAT. I substituted grape tomatoes for sun-dried because that's what I had on hand plus we like the fresh taste of grape tomatoes. Second time I made it I thought I had orzo but didn't so substitued rice - really really good!

I guess this dish doesn't need another five star review, but I liked this so much I wanted to rave a little. This not only tasted great, it looked so pretty that I immediately thought it would be perfect for next time I need to bring a dish to a get-together! I also think my vegetarian friend would love it.

Quick & easy to whip together. I served it with toasted french bread & sauteed yellow squash. I used 1 cup fresh tomato intead of sundried. I agree with another reviewer that it would've been good even with less orzo than was called for. Leftovers were good for lunch.

I loved this salad and my changes were: omitted the olives and peppers and added cherry tomatoes, cucumber and red onion. Added a little lemon juice and olive oil. Yummy! And great, portable lunch for work!

We really enjoyed this dish. I made it twice; the second time I added shrimp (sauteed in garlic and oil). It is easy and delicious.

I came upon this recipe and didn't remember making or rating it in the past. I deleted my old review, because it no longer applies. This time, I added finely chopped seeded cucumber and fresh mint; also used arugula, giving it a nice bite! Used fresh tomato instead of sun dried. Also tripled the amount of vegetables while keeping the orzo at one cup. After the salad sits in the fridge for a day or so, the flavors meld really well. Served with a fresh focaccia and dipping oil or a crisp baguette, it makes a refreshing, light and tasty summer supper!

This is a fantastic light summer salad. I omitted the olives just because we don't like them. Very easy to make and flavorful. Next time I might add some roasted red peppers. Definately a keeper!

This is a nice simple recipe with good flavors but there is way too much orzo for the other ingredients. If you follow the recipe as written, it's quite dry. I like the idea of using the artichoke marinade to save time, but you either need to reduce the amount of pasta (maybe by 1/3) or add some extra dressing. I added extra olive oil and lemon juice. Also, contrary to some of the other reviews, it's very quick -- all you're doing is boiling pasta and chopping canned ingredients.

I was given this recipe by a wonderful friend and just love making this salad. I do change a few things like using a whole can of artichoke hearts in water, not the oil. Then I use sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil) and put them in the reserved liquid from the artichoke hearts to soak while cutting up the other vegetables. Lastly, I use fat-free feta. This makes it less calories for me, but the taste is still awesome!

Delicious! Although I went to reach for my feta and it was 2 months old! I substituted 1/2c. blue cheese and added 1/4c. dried cranberries. I am not a fan of sun dried tomatoes, left them out. I will use sliced ripe olives next time instead of chopped. I will make this again and again. 7 WW pts. 1-1/2c. serving though is allot.

I thought this was a quick and easy to prepare salad - wonder why some reviewers thought it time-consuming - I prepped everything else while I boiled the orzo. I added a little lemon juice and also grilled chicken to make a one dish meal out of it. Loved the combo of flavors. Will definitely make it again.

It's a time-consuming recipie, but it's worth it!

This is a FABULOUS salad! I served this at a recent holiday party for co-workers and I should have put a stack of recipes on the table because I had so many requests. My friend, who is a caterer, made some slight changes to make it easier such as adding whole baby spinach leaves to the drained hot pasta to wilt them, didn't chop the artichoke hearts and poured the jar into the mix. It was a little dry after sitting in the fridge so we added a little olive oil and squeezed fresh lemon over top. The lemon really made the tastes POP. If you want to impress your friends or just make a simple one meal dinner at home(you could warm and add cooked shrimp or scallops) this is the one for years to come!