Orzo Pasta Salad with Chickpeas
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This orzo pasta salad is combined with chickpeas, cucumber, feta cheese crumbles and quick-cooked asparagus in a lemony cumin-spiced vinaigrette. Toasting the orzo is a “cheffy” touch that’s 100% worth it! — the unlocked flavor is nutty perfection.
Whenever you need an easy dish to bring to a potluck or want something you can eat for lunch during the week (beside this chicken pasta salad), orzo pasta salad is here for you!
We’re all trying to add more wholesome, bang-for-the-buck ingredients to the plate. Enter my lemony orzo salad that’s proudly Mediterranean in spirit.
I love salads that have a lot going on, with the perfect ratio of orzo pasta, vegetables, fresh herbs and creamy feta cheese, all combined with a lemony cumin-spiced vinaigrette dressing.
Ingredients you need to make orzo pasta salad:
Orzo pasta salad with feta plays up Greek-inspired flavor profiles, using easy to find ingredients from the grocery store.
- Orzo pasta
- Chickpeas (garbanzo beans): I often use canned ones for convenience, but it’s worth it to make a cook a batch of dried chickpeas.
- Asparagus: When asparagus is out of season or not available, you can substitute 2 cups of another vegetable, like sweet peas, snap peas, or small broccoli florets in the salad.
- Olive oil
- Herbs: Dill, parsley or fresh basil are all good choices
- Green onion or red onion
- Cucumber
- Lemon juice or red wine vinegar
- Cumin
- Feta cheese
About orzo
Among all my pasta recipes, orzo is one of the most versatile to plan a meal around, and it’s easy to like. Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta made of durum wheat. It’s one of a variety of tiny pasta shapes called “pastina” in Italian.
When I was a baby, my mother would make this orzo with butter, or add the pasta to simple chicken broth or tomato soup.
- Fun Fact: The word “orzo” is the Italian word for barley, a grain often used as a substitute for rice and pasta in parts of northern Italy.
- Because it looks so much like grains of rice, Italian orzo pasta is called risoni.
- Unlike rice, there’s no need to rinse orzo before cooking.
- Look for orzo in the pasta aisle next to other small pasta shapes.
In this recipe, I toast the pasta before cooking. Mixed in a large bowl with lots of vegetables, the flavor is delectable — you have to try it!
Place dry orzo in a skillet. Toast over medium heat until golden.
Assembling orzo pasta salad:
Whisk lemon, garlic, cumin and olive oil to make the dressing. Toss dressing with cooked orzo, asparagus and remaining ingredients and serve. 
Enjoy orzo salad cold or a room temperature — it tastes delicious either way.
Orzo Pasta Salad with Chickpeas
Ingredients
Salad dressing:
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 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) orzo pasta
- ½ pound (225 g) asparagus, woody ends trimmed; slice into ½-inch pieces *see note for substitutions
- 1 (425 g) 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
- ¼ cup chopped parsley, or a combination
- ⅓ cup (50 g) feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 green onions, finely sliced or ½ red onion
- 2 Persian cucumbers, chopped
- 2 cups baby arugula
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted * see note below
Instructions
Vinaigrette dressing:
- Whisk the lemon zest, juice, garlic, olive oil, cumin, 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 the orzo 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 the asparagus 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 the chickpeas, herbs, feta, green onions, cucumber, arugula and 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
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
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! 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!