Orzo Salad with Radishes and Cucumber

Orzo Salad with Radishes and Cucumber is a refreshing salad tossed with cherry tomatoes, fresh thyme, and a light champagne vinaigrette. Incredibly light, simple to make, and delicious!

Orzo Salad with Radishes and Cucumbers…

We love making healthy salads, and ones that are very light, so easy to make, and so tasty! Tossed with a champagne vinegar that’s so delightful, you’ll love it!

Here we decided to add some fresh vegetables to add some color as well as flavor. For more delicious salads, try our Best Orzo Salad with Spinach, Easy Pasta Salad with Bocconcini, and Tortellini and Broccoli Salad. And, for a pasta dish, don’t miss our Orzo Pasta with Zucchini & Tomato.

How to Make This Salad?

This is a very easy salad. Once you cook the orzo pasta and drain, the rest is easy.

Ingredients Needed For This Orzo Salad:

For this salad, you will need the following ingredients: (*Full printable recipe card on the bottom)

• 3/4 pound Orzo Pasta or Gluten-Free Orzo Pasta
• 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 to 3 Tbsp. Champagne Vinegar
• 1 medium cucumber – hollowed, seeds discarded
• 4 fresh radishes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes – slice into quarters
• 1/4 tsp. fresh thyme
• 1 Tbsp. red onion – minced
• fresh cracked pepper to taste

Easy Directions:

1.  COOK THE PASTA: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add a teaspoon of salt.  Add in the orzo pasta and cook until al-dente, about 1 or 2 minutes less than the directions on the package.  Drain and immediately run under cold water for a few seconds to stop the cooking.

2. ADD THE VEGGIES & DRESSING: Allow the orzo to drain well. Transfer to a large serving bowl.  Add in all the vegetables, fresh thyme, olive oil, and vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Toss Orzo salad until well combined.

3. THEN CHILL: Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours before serving.  Best served chilled.   Yields: 4 to 6 servings.

 

 

 Tips and Notes for Success!

• It’s important to cook the orzo very al-dente. Orzo needs to be “undercooked” for about 1 minute.
• Remember, if you overcook it, you could end up with mushy orzo, and that will ruin the texture of the salad and also alter its flavor.
• But if you can’t Champagne vinegar, use the one you prefer. Try to use apple cider vinegar instead.  Both kinds of vinegar are very light and will work very nicely.
• Pair this orzo salad with our Grilled Sesame Ginger Salmon. This salad will complement any grilled seafood, poultry, or meats.
• And for our gluten-free friends, make this salad using gluten-free orzo!

When you add in fresh vegetables, fresh herbs, and a light vinaigrette, it turns into this amazing salad that works with any entrée you serve.

 This meal turned out to be delicious!

More Healthy Salads You’ll Love!

• Chickpea Salad with Cucumbers and Peppers
• Fennel and Apple Salad
• Healthy Apple Bok Choy Salad
• Best Orzo Salad with Spinach

If you make this delicious Orzo Salad, let us know and leave a comment with a 5-star rating on our recipe card!

Happy and Healthy Cooking!  🙂