This easy Mediterranean orzo pasta salad with crunchy vegetables, spinach, briny olives, and feta cheese is the perfect meal-prepped meal or flavorful pasta salad side.
I LOVE any recipe that shines with Mediterranean flavors, and this orzo pasta salad is just one example of that fact. Because if you’ve been a reader here for a while, or perused my recipe archives, you’ll see that Mediterranean recipes are very well represented.
In This Post
I just can’t get enough, because when I make this pasta salad, I literally eat it all week long. This feta-laden orzo salad can be served as a meatless main or a hearty side, and it’s a VERY good one to add to the ever-growing list.
This Mediterranean orzo salad is a little bit Greek, a little bit Italian, and every bit delicious.
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
- When it comes to feta cheese, always choose the block feta instead of crumbles, which can taste more chalky and dry.
- For the perfect bite every time, dice the veggies into bite-sized pieces so you can get a little of everything on your fork.
- If possible, make this orzo salad the night before to give the flavors time to meld and reach peak levels of delicious.
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Orzo pasta โ Looks like long-grain rice, but it’s actually pasta! Always choose a high quality pasta (Italian-made DeLallo is my favorite).
- Veggies โ I loaded up this salad with Mediterranean vegetables like red bell pepper, cucumber, spinach, and red onion, but you can mix and match whatever is in your produce drawer.
- Castelvetrano green olives โ These mild, buttery olives from Sicily are perfectly poppable on their own but also work beautifully in salads.
- Kalamata olives โ Bold, briny, and fruity, these Greek olives pack in lots of flavor yet have a similar buttery texture to the Castelvetrano olives. To make things easier, choose pitted olives.
- Feta cheese โ Less than a cup of crumbled feta adds just the right amount of creamy, salty texture to the hearty orzo salad.
- Dressing โ The pasta salad dressing gets a dose of Mediterranean flavor thanks to a combination of lemon juice, dried oregano, olive oil, and canola oil. The canola oil is milder than olive oil so the combo makes a mellower dressing that flavors but doesn’t take over.
Ingredient Substitutions
You can swap other Mediterranean-inspired ingredients for those listed above, like:
- Artichoke hearts
- Tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes
- Green peppers or roasted peppers
- Avocado
- Grilled eggplant
- Garbanzo or cannellini beans
- Arugula
- Dried basil or Italian seasoning
How to Make Mediterranean Orzo Salad
- Cook the orzo pasta. Be sure to cook the orzo just until al dentรฉ as it will absorb the dressing as it sits, and you don’t want it to become mushy. Rinse and drain the pasta and make sure it’s cool before adding the other ingredients.
- Add the veggies and feta. Once the orzo has cooled, add to a large serving bowl along with the vegetables.
Heidi’s Tip: Chop the vegetables in same bite-size pieces so the flavors are equally enjoyed with each forkful. Roughly tear the baby spinach leaves in big pieces for the best green, leafy bites.
- Whisk together the dressing. There isn’t much to this dressing except for the glorious fact that It’s easy to make.ย But, if you have my Greek salad dressing in the fridge, feel free to use it instead.
- Chill. Toss the orzo salad with the dressing to coat every nook and cranny in the lemon vinaigrette. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to give the flavors time to meld and for the orzo to soak up some of the dressing.
FAQs
Go for it! If you don’t want to make the quick, whisk-together vinaigrette, try substituting it with Greek or Italian dressing. Homemade and store-bought both work.
To make this a main dish salad, top it with Greek marinated chicken, grilled shrimp, grilled balsamic chicken, or pan-seared salmon.
This dish is easy to make gluten-free by using your favorite brand of gluten-free orzo pasta. Read the instructions to see how long the orzo must be cooked (aim for a chewy al dente texture).
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
All of the ingredients in this pasta salad hold up well and develop even more flavor over time, making it a great pasta salad recipe to make ahead of time for meal prep, picnics, bbqs and parties.
This pasta salad can be made the day before serving and will last in the refrigerator for up to one week.
What to Serve with Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad
- Mediterranean Grilled Pork Chops
- Chicken Gyros With Tzatziki Sauce
- Grilled Balsamic Chicken With Olive Tapenade
- Greek Chicken Kebabs
- Pork Souvlaki With Lemon Rice
- Caprese Chicken
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a 
rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Mediterranean Orzo Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Pasta Salad:
- 16 ounces orzo
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves , gently torn into large pieces
- 1 ยฝ chopped red bell pepper , about one red bell pepper๏ฟผ
- 1 cup cucumber , diced and seeded, about one medium
- ยพ cup red onion , diced๏ฟผ
- 5 ounces Castelvetrano green olives , drained and halved
- 5 ounces Kalamata pitted olives , drained and halved
- 7 ounces feta cheese
Dressing:
- ยฝ cup canola oil
- ยผ cup olive oil
- 1 lemon , juiced
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons oregano๏ฟผ
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, season with salt, and cook the orzo for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse๏ฟผ, and set aside to cool.
- Transfer the cooled orzo to a large mixing bowl. Add the spinach, chopped vegetables, and olives, then crumble half of the feta cheese over the pasta.
- In a small bowl, whisk the canola oil, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano and salt and pepper until mixed. Pour the vinaigrette over the pasta mixture and gently fold until the pasta and veggies are coated. Taste for seasoning and top with the remaining feta cheese.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
More Mediterranean-Inspired Pasta Salads
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Kale Caesar Pasta Salad
- Creamy Tuscan Pasta Salad
- Easy Italian Spaghetti Salad
- Nicoise Pasta Salad
- Asparagus Orzo Salad
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Harriette
This is a fabulous salad that I have made several times as-is and with additional ingredients. I have a friend that insists I make it when I visit from out of town as paymentโฆ.haha, lucky me! Thanks for a great recipe! This will remain as a keeper in my salad rotation.
That is so great to hear Harriette! Thanks for swinging back around to let us know :)
Grantpa
Super good! manipulate to your liking. we didn’t have feta, we used Cojita. didn’t have red onions, used green. Added grape tomatoes. Turned out great. thanks
Happy you enjoyed! :)
Carla
This is a wonderful salad! I zested the lemons before juicing, and it intensified the flavor.
Sounds delicious Carla!
Rose
I have made this salad a couple of times as is and it’s one of my favorites! I am going to make it again this weekend but I’m going to add some chicken for some added protein. Thanks so much for this delicious recipe!
Sounds delicious Rose!
Kathy
Love this salad. I have made it several times. Actually just finished another bowl.
Glad you enjoyed Kathy!
Debbie
Could I use Italian dressing with this recipe?
Yes you could, Debbie!
Leigh Downey
This is the best salad I have ever made. Although I did put quite a bit more dressing on it. I had Some dressing from a restaurant called The Little Greek. It was a big hit.
I’m glad you liked it Leigh. You could also double the dressing if you like it more moist.
Kathi
Omg! I just made this salad for a party tonight and it is seriously the best! Itโs that good this is the first comment Iโve ever left over the hundreds of recipes Iโve tried on Pinterest. Yummy!!!
Hayley
Thank you for sharing, Kathi! We’re so glad to hear it was a hit!
Diana M
delicious! this will be my go-to pasta salad recipe for a long time to come! I wish I could post a picture.
Hayley
Thanks, Diana, we’re so happy you love it! Are you on social? You could post a picture and tag @foodiecrush or use #foodiecrusheats there! https://www.instagram.com/foodiecrush :)
Dawn
Hello, Iโm wondering why canola oil. Is it the thickness of the oil?
You could use another neutral, flavorless oil. Try grapeseed oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil.
Kathy
So easy and so refreshing during these oh so hot summer days. Made this for a beach trip with my bff and she canโt stop raving about it! Her suggestion: add some cut up pepperoni and it really kicked it up. We are going to try adding shrimp next.
Hayley
Thanks for sharing Kathy. We’re so happy you and your friend loved it! And yes, shrimp or pepperoni would be awesome additionsโyum!
Tina P.
I am OBSESSED with this salad!! It’s fabulous. Thanks for sharing!
Hayley
Thank you, Tina. We’re so thrilled that you love it!
Zenell
Never made a Greek salad before so make this oneโฆ it turned out great, and I will definitely make it again
I’m so glad it worked out for you Zenell. Thanks for making it and thanks for your 5-star rating!
Susan Dubiel
Getting ready to try this yummy recipe. Is the 16oz measurement dry orzo or cooked?
Thank you!
Hayley
Hi Susan! It’s the dry measurement. We hope you enjoy!
Linda Dietz
A friend brought this to a potluck we recently attended and it was so good I had to have the recipe! I have not made it yet, but as I perused the recipe, I noticed it seems to take a lot of oil. Is that because of the amount of orzo used? (16 oz as opposed to 12?) Is there a way I could possibly cut down on the amount of oil? However, I must say, it was absolutely delicious, so maybe I would be ruining a good thing by no using so much oil. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed it. If you want to cut it down then give it a try.
Linda Gang
WOW! This tastes incredible! Easy to make too!
Hayley
Thanks, Linda, we’re so happy you enjoyed it! It’s definitely a favorite of ours. :)
Sherrie Buenger
Very tasty, I added garlic and red wine vinegar and thyme to the dressing. It was delicious!
Hayley
Thanks, Sherrieโwe’re so glad you enjoyed this!
Michelle D
Came out perfect as written. Even the picky eaters loved it.
Hayley
That’s awesome, Michelle! We’re especially glad to hear it was well-received with the picky eaters (that’s always a victory)! :)
Judy Douglas
Perfect as is!
Hayley
Thanks Judy, we’re so glad you enjoy it!
Mandy
This is a favorite in our household!! We add/subtract ingredients & seasonings for our tastebuds, and it always goes quick when bringing to an event! Iโd like to give it a go with a different type of pasta, any suggestions? :)
Hayley
We’re so happy you and your family enjoy this, Mandy! Thanks for the rating and for letting us know! :)
LindaBL
DELICIOUS and light! Made it for a pool party and all LOVED it and wanted the recipe. Iโll be making it again and againโฆ
Hayley
Thanks for sharing, Linda! We’re so glad it was a hit! :)
Lesley Shay
This recipe is delicious! I put a few slices of grilled chicken on top. My mother-in-law is still raving about this 6 weeks later.