Toasted Orzo Pasta Salad with Feta, Asparagus, and Chickpeas
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Orzo pasta salad with chunks of feta cheese, fresh asparagus, and chickpeas, in a sharp cumin-lemon vinaigrette. The secret: I toast the dry orzo first for a deep, nutty flavor that holds up hours later.
Orzo pasta salad is one of those recipes that sounds simple, until you’ve had a version that’s noticeably good. For me, the difference comes from toasting dry orzo in a skillet before it ever touches water — 10 minutes over medium heat until the pasta turns deep gold and smells like popcorn.
Three ingredients, one good orzo salad
- Orzo pasta: The single thing that separates this from a forgettable pasta salad is toasting the orzo. Ten minutes over medium heat, stirring often, takes the pasta from pale and starchy to a deep amber that smells like roasted grain — something between toasted bread and popcorn. Standard grocery store orzo works perfectly; there’s no need for a specialty brand.
- Feta cheese: I always buy feta in blocks, not the pre-crumbled kind in a dry tub. Blocks of feta (usually packed in brine) are creamier and sharper, and crumble into irregular, rustic pieces that are the opposite of the dried little bits in plastic containers. It also sparks the salad with saltiness, the definition of savory-ness.
- Lemon vinaigrette: Because orzo absorbs a significant amount of liquid as it sits, I intentionally made the dressing more acidic and assertive than I’d make for a green salad. A vinaigrette that tastes slightly too bold straight from the bowl is calibrated correctly for a pasta salad. Ground cumin is what keeps this from tasting like a generic lemon pasta salad — it adds an earthy undertone that works with both the chickpeas and the feta.
Let’s make orzo pasta salad
Raw orzo — pale, starchy, and about to get a lot more interesting! Ten minutes over medium heat is all it takes. You’re looking for a deep golden color and a smell that reminds you of popcorn.
Cumin and lemon do most of the work — this dressing is sharp and bold on purpose, because the orzo absorbs a lot of it. Everything goes in at once — the residual warmth from the orzo is enough to slightly wilt the arugula, which is exactly what you want. 
Cold or room temperature, but never straight from the fridge — the olive oil becomes sold, and the flavors fall flat.
Making it ahead
The beauty of this salad is that it only gets better after a few hours, or even a couple of days — the orzo absorbs the vinaigrette and the flavors mingle in the best way. Prep it up to 24 hours ahead, but leave out the arugula until just before serving so it doesn’t wilt.
Toasted Orzo Pasta Salad with Feta, Asparagus, and Chickpeas
Recipe Video
Ingredients
Salad dressing:
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 grated garlic clove
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Black pepper from a peppermill
Salad:
- ¾ cup (112.5 g) dried orzo pasta
- ½ pound (225 g) fresh asparagus sliced into ½-inch pieces
- 1 15-ounce can (425 g) drained chickpeas
- ¼ cup chopped parsley, or a combination of parsley and fresh dill or cilantro
- â…“ cup (50 g) crumbled feta cheese
- 2 sliced green onions, or ½ red onion
- 2 chopped Persian cucumbers
- 2 cups baby arugula
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted * see note below
Instructions
Vinaigrette dressing:
- Whisk the Grated zest of 1 lemon, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, 1 grated garlic clove, 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon salt and a good 10 grinds of pepper in a bowl. Alternatively, shake the dressing in a mason jar. (Dressing will keep refrigerated 3-5 days).
Orzo salad:
- Place a dry 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add ¾ cup dried orzo pasta and toast until golden brown and nutty-smelling, about 10 minutes, tossing the pan frequently. Remove from the heat.
- Bring 3 quarts salted water to a boil and cook the orzo until al dente, according to package directions. Add ½ pound fresh asparagus sliced into ½-inch pieces during the last 2 or 3 minutes of cooking. Drain in a colander, then immediately run under cold running water for about 30 seconds. Drain well and transfer to a large serving bowl.
- Add 1 15-ounce can drained chickpeas, ¼ cup chopped parsley, ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese, 2 sliced green onions, 2 chopped Persian cucumbers, 2 cups baby arugula, and 2 tablespoons pine nuts to the bowl and gently toss together. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt, lemon or olive oil if needed. Serve at room temperature.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- The pasta salad keeps well up to 2 days. Serve at room temperature for the best flavor.
- When asparagus is out of season or not available, you can substitute 2 cups of another vegetable in step 2 above, such as green peas, sugar snap peas, or bite-size broccoli florets.
- Spruce up leftovers by adding a bit more lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- To toast pine nuts, heat them in a small skillet for about 5 minutes over medium heat until they turn lightly golden. Keep an eye on them, because they can go from toasted to burned very quickly.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
Professionally trained cook, cookbook author, and the person behind every recipe here. I cook the way I was trained: Start with good ingredients, understand why they work, and don’t apologize for the salt. These are the recipes I actually make, for the people I love. Read more about me here.
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This salad was so so yummy! I made it on Sunday night for lunches to bring to work, but my roommates and I haven’t been able to stop picking and I’m worried there might not be any left! Thanks so much for another great, easy recipe.
Just finished preparing this amazing salad. Never knew Orzo could be toasted…what a dif! Many of my favorite flavors in one bowl! Thank you!
Carl! That makes me so happy :))
I love everything about this orzo salad, from all the fresh ingredients to that feta cheese, I could seriously eat this everyday, thank you for the recipe 🙂
Albert – thanks so much! This is a great recipe to indulge in – pretty healthy, but also satisfying 😉
I love this recipe! I am a vegetarian student with limited funds and I got all of the ingredients that we needed for this recipe for $8! I brought it to a barbecue and got great reviews. Thanks for the great food!
I hope you inspire all your friends, Leah 😉
So glad you liked it.
How much orzo does this recipe call for?
Molly – thanks for pointing out that omission! It’s 3/4 cup orzo, recipe corrected above.
I can’t believe more people don’t comment about your recipes. I love them. Real food to liven things up and make use of what you’ve got on hand (for the most part).
That looks delicious–right up my alley for a quick and delicious lunch. Thanks for the great idea!