Lemony-Orzo Veggie Salad with Fresh Dill
I found this recipe on The Kitchenista that looked too good to resist. We had friends over for dinner tonight and this was a HUGE hit with all of us… especially my friend Currié who loved it so much I sent the leftovers home with her. I loved the lemony dill flavor with the crunchy red pepper, cucumber, and onion, and salty feta. It was light and flavorful and so very easy to make.
How to Make Lemony-Orzo Veggie Salad with Fresh Dill
Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, garlic, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, together in a bowl. Whisk until well combined then set aside so the flavors can mingle.
Cook the orzo per instructions; drain and rinse with cold water.
Combine the orzo together with the cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, fresh dill, and the lemon vinaigrette; toss to coat evenly. Taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Top with feta cheese and serve. Enjoy.
Side Note: If your red onion is too strong in flavor, dice it then place it in a bowl of ice water for a few minutes. It will mellow the flavor out nicely.
Equipment
Ingredients
- Zest of one lemon
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp honey
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- 1 cup of uncooked orzo cooked per instructions
- 1 cucumber peeled, seeded and finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and finely diced
- 1 tbsp red onion finely diced
- 2 tbsp fresh dill chopped
- 2 tbsp feta cheese more if desired
Instructions
- Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, garlic, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, together in a bowl. Whisk until well combined then set aside so the flavors can mingle.
- Cook the orzo per instructions; drain and rinse with cold water.
- Combine the orzo together with the cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, fresh dill, and the lemon vinaigrette; toss to coat evenly. Taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Top with feta cheese and serve. Enjoy.
- Side Note: If your red onion is too strong in flavor, dice it then place it in a bowl of ice water for a few minutes. It will mellow the flavor out nicely.
Hi Pam. I just bookmarked this and will be making it in the next day or two. Looks so refreshing for this awful heat we are having!!!
Hugs,
Kris
I did, indeed, LOVE this dish! I am a lucky girl to have such a wonderful friend who is an amazing cook. This will be added to my bookmarks. Thank you, Pam! Your cooking is delicious;)
Lemon and dill definitely go hand in hand! Can’t wait to try this with some steak! 🙂
Hi Pam,
What a fantastic combination of flavours and aromas in this salad and it also look so gorgeous!
Cheers,
Lia.
What a healthy meal,fresh and colorful and thanks for the tip about red onion !!
I love orzo pasta, and this looks so delicious and refreshing, Pam!
I adore orzo salads of any kind. Too bad Chris refuses to eat it.. Oh well.. looks like he’ll be making chicken nuggets for dinner!!
I love orzo salads and could always use another recipe. Great onion tip too.
This is a perfect meal for this heat wave we are having. Love the addition of red bell pepper. It really brightens up the dish.
I love lemon, dill, & feta together. Great salad! And lucky friend who got to take the leftovers!
I never think to use orzo in my pasta salads but now I will have to start! This looks so yummy and feta is one of my favorite cheeses. DELISH 😀
This looks awesome! I am getting a little sick of my spinach and veggie salad for lunch every day and this might be the perfect way to switch it up, but still keep it healthy!
so fresh and bright! delicious for a hot summer afternoon, love it!
You are the queen of summer tastiness.
I just learned summfin! Great tip on the red onion, I did not know that.
Sounds really good. I do have orzo.
Sounds like a salad with a lot of flavor. Looks really delicious.
I am such a sucker for the feta/dill combo! I know I”d love this salad.
nice tip about the red onion. what do you do to tame your feta cheese? 🙂
So yummy! I actually made it with Israeli couscous because I didn’t have any orzo. Very light and delicious. Was a hit at easter