I love a good Greek salad – the flavors are simple and all work well together. So, when I found the recipe for this salad it seemed like a great way to incorporate many Greek salad ingredients (Kalamata olives, dill, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and feta) into a simple pasta salad.
I have made this salad many times and didn’t think I could improve upon it until I ventured away from Greece and into France. I used a French feta (Valbreso) made from sheep’s milk and discovered a wonderful new cheese. This feta is a bit smoother than traditional Greek feta and definitely worth looking for. My “helpers” – sister-in-law, Annie T, and niece, Atlee T – both agreed that this was tasty cheese.
This recipe is great for a summer picnic or party, as it is easy to make and a little orzo goes a long way, so it can feed a crowd. Plus, it’s very adaptable – add grilled chicken to make it a main dish salad or use grape tomatoes instead of sun dried tomatoes.
Photo by Annie Losey Teillon
| Orzo Dill Salad | | Print |
- 1 pound of orzo
- 1 clove of garlic
- ½ to ¾ cup dill, remove dill leaves from hard stems
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4-1/2 ounces sun dried tomatoes, julienne cut
- 1-1/2 cup Kalamata olives, cut in half (lengthwise)
- ½ cup pine nuts, toasted
- 6 ounces Feta, crumbled
- Cook orzo according to package. It should be “al dente.”
- Chop garlic in a food processor. Add dill, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and chop well. Add olive oil in a slow steady stream until dressing is emulsified.
- Drain pasta and toss with dressing while pasta is still warm. Cool pasta at room temperature. Add sun dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, pine nuts and feta and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
I thought it was delish too…and nice photo, Annie!
This looks and sounds delicious, Nicole!
This sounds delish – can’t wait to try it. I make a very similar recipe using quinoa instead of orzo and it is always a huge hit.
Whoops…made this tonight but when I went to the fridge to get out the dill, I found it had turned into mush. So went out to the garden and picked some fresh basil as a substitute. Delish with Block Island Sound swordfish!
Soooo delicious – love the mild feta! I used fresh cherry tomatoes and doubled the amount. Rick loved it too!
[…] for me to showcase the yummy French feta (Valbreso) I found earlier this summer and used in the Orzo Dill Salad (any feta will work). And, thanks to my friend, Lisa K, who introduced me to balsamic vinegar […]