Summer Orzo Salad {A Meatless Monday Recipe

Summer is bursting with flavor in this corn zucchini orzo salad. Seasonal vegetables combined with lemony orzo and feta cheese for a quick pasta salad.

From the first bite, I fell head over heels in love with this corn zucchini orzo salad. I loved everything about this dish. The smell, the texture, and, oh yes, the flavor! I loved this dish so much that I immediately came up with another dish using the lemon, feta, and basil ingredients (see the recipe).

These star ingredients, combined with the summer vegetables and rich orzo pasta, this dish practically shouted: “HELLO SUMMER!!” from the side of our mountain. I’m sure the neighbors heard it, too!

This quick orzo pasta salad recipe is light and fresh, perfect for Meatless Monday or as a side dish to any summer cookout. This dish easily serves four to six people, cutting the recipe in half for a smaller portion to serve two.

Ingredients and Substitutions

The recipe card at the end of this post lists the complete ingredient list with measurements.

Vegetables: This salad uses fresh summer vegetables from your garden or local farmers’ market.

• Zucchini: you’ll need about three medium or 5-6 small zucchini chopped into bite-sized pieces.
• Corn: fresh summer corn is the best. Use canned corn when fresh corn is unavailable.
• Onion: diced red onion speckles the salad like jewels. Red onion is used for its pretty red color, but sweet white onion will work if you don’t have red onion, but it will not be as pretty.
• Jalapeno: diced jalapeno brightens this savory pasta dish with a bit of warmth without being overly spicy. seeding and deveining help control the heat. You can always leave the seeds in if you want the pasta spicier.

Seasoning: Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

Pasta: This recipe uses a pound of Orzo. If you don’t have orzo, cauliflower rice, farro, quinoa, or couscous are acceptable substitutes. 

Oil: extra-virgin olive oil or any cooking oil of your choice.

Lemon: Both lemon zest and lemon juice provide fresh brightness to the dish. 

Fresh Herbs: fresh basil adds flavor and brightens the savory orzo and vegetables. If desired, you can use any seasonal fresh herbs such as fresh parsley, fresh mint, or cilantro.

Cheese: crumbled feta provides texture and tang to this pasta dish. If you don’t have feta, use goat cheese, parmesan, or ricotta cheese.

How To Make Summer Orzo Salad

This summer pasta dish comes together in just over 30 minutes. Prep time is minimal, and cooking time is minimal. It’s about preserving the delicious summer produce rather than cooking them to death. The recipe card at the end of this post provides detailed instructions with times and temperatures.

1. Salting the Zucchini: Watery vegetables such as zucchini, draw some water out to keep your dishes from diluting or soggy. I always salt eggplant before I cook it. This process is known as “disgorging vegetables.” 15 to 20 minutes of salt can make a huge difference in your dishes!
   
   Chop the zucchini and place it in a colander. Toss with salt and let it sit in the sink or over a bowl for about 20 minutes.

2. Cook the Pasta and Drain: Cook the pasta per packaging directions in a large pot of heavily salted boiling water. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop it from cooking. Drain well, then transfer to a large bowl.

3. Cook the Vegetables: Saute the zucchini, onion, corn, and jalapeno in a large skillet until tender and warmed through.

4. Combine & Toss: combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss with fresh basil and feta cheese.

Tips For Making Summer Orzo Salad

• Chop the zucchini into uniform pieces. This will help them cook more evenly.
• Salting watery vegetables removes some water to avoid your dishes becoming too diluted or soggy. I always salt eggplant before I cook it. This process is known as disgorging vegetables. 15 to 20 minutes of salt can make a world of difference in your dishes! Learn more about salting vegetables here!
• Leftover salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
• If you have leftovers, you can use them in a frittata for another meal. It’s a delicious and versatile dish!
• Turn this dish into a meal prep. Have it for Meatless Monday, then add protein later in the week to create a complete meal. Try rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken, or shrimp. Yum!

I boasted about the flavors of this orzo salad recipe, but it is also beautifully colorful. Can you tell I liked it? I hope you do, too!

Enjoy!