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White bowl with lemon herb orzo salad topped with toasted pine nuts.
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4.60 from 5 votes

Lemon Herb Orzo Salad with Peas and Dill

My Lemon and Herb Orzo Salad combines peas, feta, fresh parsley, dill, and orzo tossed together with a tangy lemon vinaigrette and finished with toasted pine nuts and lemon zest.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Greek, Italian
Servings: 8
Author: James Delmage

Ingredients

Base ingredients

  • 1 pound orzo pasta cooked al dente and rinsed until cold
  • 1 1/4 cups crumbled feta cheese
  • 3 cups peas thaw frozen peas or use fresh
  • 1/2 cup pignoli nuts
  • 1 small sweet onion finely diced, can also use red onion
  • 1/2 cup minced dill
  • 1/2 cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 lemon zested

For the lemon vinaigrette

  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 2 cloves garlic grated
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • honey to taste, see notes below
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the dressing

  • Combine all of the dressing ingredients and whisk until emulsified. Alternatively, use a food processor or blender. Taste test the dressing and season with salt and pepper if required.

For the pasta salad

  • Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook the orzo until al dente. Drain and rinse until cold.
  • Meanwhile, toast the pignoli nuts in a dry pan over medium low heat. Watch the whole time, because they can quickly burn. Once toasted, remove the nuts to a dish and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the orzo pasta, peas, onion, dill, and parsley. Add the dressing and mix well.
  • Mix in the feta cheese and sprinkle the toasted pignoli nuts and lemon zest onto the salad. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Chill before serving. Chilling for a few hours before serving will really amplify the flavor.
  • Add more oil.  If needed, add a few more tablespoons of olive oil before serving.
  • Pasta.  Any small pasta can be subbed for the orzo.  Ditalini and small or medium shells work well.
  • Honey. Honey is an optional ingredient but should be used to balance the vinaigrette if you find it too acidic.  Start with 1-2 teaspoons and work up from there.
  • Leftovers.  Lemon herb orzo salad can be saved for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 543kcal | Carbohydrates: 53.6g | Protein: 13.5g | Fat: 6.7g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 280mg | Fiber: 9.2g | Sugar: 5.8g | Calcium: 174mg | Iron: 4mg

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