This orzo spinach salad is one of those easy recipes that works for lunch, dinner, or as a side dish. It comes together quickly and easily and has a lot of flavor!
We make orzo spinach salad at least once a week because it's such a quick, simple, and healthy meal. It also makes a great side dish with fish (we like it with either blackened salmon or a quick broiled salmon. I'll toss in more veggies if I have them, especially brussels sprouts. Avocado is really good, too!
Ingredients
You really only need a handful of ingredients to make an orzo spinach salad, and we make our own dressing that's to die for. You could also use a store-bought dressing if you prefer, but this one is so quick to make and it will be done before the pasta is even cooked.
Orzo Spinach Salad
- Orzo pasta, uncooked
- Baby spinach, chopped
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
- Olives, cut in half (we use Kalamata but you can use your favorite)
- Salt
Lemon Garlic Dressing
- Fresh lemon juice
- Garlic
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
Instructions
- Add all of the dressing ingredients to a small container and whisk vigorously to combine. Set it aside to let the flavors meld while you make the salad.
- Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil and season with a teaspoon or so of salt. Add the orzo pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Once it's done to your liking, strain the pasta really well in a colander (you don't want any water diluting the dressing). Turn off the heat on the stove.
- Add the pasta back into the pot, then add the spinach, tomatoes, and olives. Toss gently to combine.
- Drizzle with the lemon garlic dressing and gently toss again to coat. Serve immediately or keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
- If you want your spinach to wilt more, combine all of the ingredients immediately after draining the pasta while it's still hot. Or you can let the pasta cool slightly so the spinach doesn't wilt as much.
- This orzo spinach salad is delicious as a cold pasta salad, too. Just store it in the fridge and let it warm slightly on the counter before serving.
Variations
The recipe is delicious as written, but sometimes we want to either add or swap something. Here are the ingredients we most commonly add or substitute:
Proteins
- Grilled chicken breast (sliced or chopped) or shredded rotisserie chicken
- Grilled shrimp or sautéed shrimp (this is my personal favorite!)
- Canned chickpeas or white beans, rinsed and drained
- Salmon (grilled is especially delicious, but we'll often just add leftover salmon if we have it; canned salmon is also really good)
- Tofu
Cheeses
- Crumbled feta (this is what we add most often)
- Shaved or grated Parmesan
- Fresh mozzarella pearls
- Crumbled goat cheese
- A big dollop of ricotta cheese
Veggies
- Baby arugula or mixed greens instead of spinach (make sure to add the pasta after it's completely cooled if you go this route)
- Roasted or shaved brussels sprouts
- Sliced or diced avocado
- Roasted red peppers, chopped
- Thinly sliced or diced cucumber
- Zucchini ribbons or grilled zucchini
- Roasted asparagus, chopped
- Artichoke hearts, chopped
- Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- Red onion or shallots, thinly sliced
Olives
- Castelvetrano olives
- Green olives
- Nicoise olives
- Capers (use sparingly but they're so good!)
- Pepperoncini
Herbs
- Fresh basil, chiffonade
- Parsley (flat-leaf works best)
- Chopped fresh dill
- Chopped fresh mint
- Chopped chives
Dressing
- Add a little Dijon mustard
- Stir in a little honey or maple syrup if you prefer a sweeter dressing
- Swap lemon juice for red wine vinegar
- Add lemon zest for extra lemon flavor
- Finish with a large pinch or two of red pepper flakes for a little spice! You can also serve them at the table for everyone to add them as they like.
Pasta
- Whole wheat orzo
- Gluten-free orzo
- Pearl couscous
- Farro
- Quinoa
Add a little crunch
We'll sometimes add nuts for a little crunch. These are our favorites:
- Toasted pine nuts
- Slivered almonds
- Chopped walnuts
- Pistachios (whole or chopped)
- Homemade garlic croutons
Related Recipes
Looking for more delicious salad recipes? Try these:
Orzo Spinach Salad
Yield:
4 servings
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
10 minutes
Total Time:
20 minutes
This easy, delicious salad comes together quickly and makes a great lunch, dinner, or side dish. It's even great for breakfast when topped with a poached egg!
Ingredients
Lemon Garlic Dressing
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Pasta Salad
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups orzo pasta, uncooked
- 1 cup baby spinach, chopped
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tablespoon kalamata olives, halved
Instructions
- Add all of the dressing ingredients to a small container and whisk vigorously to combine. Set it aside to let the flavors meld while you make the salad.
- Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil and season with a teaspoon or so of salt. Add the orzo pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Once it's done to your liking, strain the pasta really well in a colander (you don't want any water diluting the dressing). Turn off the heat on the stove.
- Add the pasta back into the pot, then add the spinach, tomatoes, and olives. Toss gently to combine.
- Drizzle with the lemon garlic dressing and gently toss again to coat. Serve immediately or keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 339Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 11gSodium: 906mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 10g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.
Aubrey Cornelius, also known as the The Blonde Chef, is a food-loving, photo-taking kinda girl and her passion is creating delicious recipes for friends and family to share. As a member of a large family herself and now responsible for cooking for her own family, she understands how important it is to have fresh, healthy food on the table.
She is also a professional food photographer who specializes in editorial, portrait food photography and styling.
She is also a professional food photographer who specializes in editorial, portrait food photography and styling.
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