Orzo Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette

Orzo Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette ~ is a refreshing salad made with orzo pasta, diced cucumbers, sliced radishes, cherry tomatoes, and fresh thyme then tossed with a light champagne vinaigrette. Incredibly light, simple to make, and delicious!

We love making summer salads.  And this one is so light, so easy to make, and so tasty, the dressing is the secret!

It’s made with champagne vinegar that’s so delightful, you’ll love how it enhances the flavors in most of your salads, not only in this one.

You can find champagne vinegar at your local supermarket, you can get it on Amazon, just click HERE.  Trader Joe’s also has a brand, click HERE. 

But if you can’t, find the one you prefer, you can use apple cider vinegar instead.  Both kinds of vinegar are very light and will work very nicely.

No need to add too much of anything to this salad.  But here I decided to add some fresh vegetables, as they add in some color as well as flavor!

How to Make Orzo Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette? 

Ingredients Needed for Orzo Salad:

• 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

Directions:

1.  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 of the package.  Drain and immediately run under cold water for a few seconds to stop the cooking.

2.  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.  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 remember to cook the orzo very al-dente.  Orzo needs to be under cooked about 1 minute.

• Be careful not to overcook it, or you could end up with mushy orzo, and that will ruin the texture and the salad, not to mention, it will change the flavor as well.

Then, (as I did here) pair this orzo salad with some grilled sesame ginger salmon steaks.  This salad will comliment any grilled seafood, poultry or meats.

 This meal turned out to be delicious!

Let’s face it, orzo is pasta.  But it’s definitely one that is very light and airy (if that makes any sense).

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 it with as a complimentary side dish.

And for our gluten-free friends, make this salad using Gluten-Free Orzo!

Orzo Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette is one of our favorite salads and everyone will surely enjoy it!  It’s a perfect salad to serve all summer long!

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day!

MORE DELICIOUS SALADS!

• Best Orzo Salad with Spinach

• Chickpea Salad with Cucumbers and Peppers

• Fennel and Apple Salad

• Healthy Apple Bok Choy Salad

Yield: 4 to 6

Orzo Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette

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Orzo Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette ~ is a refreshing salad made with orzo pasta, diced cucumbers, sliced radishes, cherry tomatoes, and fresh thyme then tossed with a light champagne vinaigrette. Incredibly light, simple to make and delicious!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 6 minutes

Total Time 21 minutes

Ingredients

• 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

Instructions

1. 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 of the package. Drain and immediately run under cold water for a few seconds to stop the cooking.
2. Allow the orzo pasta 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. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours before serving. Best served chilled.
4. Yields: 4 to 6 servings

Hello friends! 

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Happy and Healthy Cooking!  🙂

Thanks for stopping by!

Anna and Liz