Tomato, Basil and Cucumber Orzo Salad Recipe

This simple spring or summer orzo pasta salad couldn't be any easier! Great side for lunch, dinner, any picnic, BBQ or potluck!

Tomato, Basil and Cucumber Orzo Salad

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Have I ever mentioned how much I love salads?? Pretty sure I have since I make them often.

They are one of my favorite side dishes, especially when grilling during the spring and summer. We most recently had this with grilled chicken, kabobs, brats and steak!

This recipe is so light and delicious and pretty too!

It's easy to put together, so fresh from the veggies and basil and super flavorful.

This recipe is the best eaten right after, or within a few hours after you make it, but it also tastes pretty good the next day if you have to make it ahead of time.

I would recommend if you do need it for the next day, you could mix everything together in a bowl except the dressing the night before, and add the dressing right before serving.

Cooking the orzo in the broth is most definitely optional, but it adds an extra depth of flavor to the salad and I think something would be missing if this step was skipped.

I absolutely love the texture of orzo and we use it often in sides at our house. It's wonderful combined with rice, added in soups, or even sprinkled in a spinach salad.

This recipe is SO easy to customize too, check out some of my suggestions below.

What is in Tomato, Basil and Cucumber Orzo Salad?

• Fresh Basil: Also called sweet basil and is an annual herb in the mint family. It's a great source of vitamin k, vitamin a, magnesium and iron. It has a sweet smell with a peppery taste.

• Fresh tomatoes: They are technically a fruit since they have seeds, but are prepared or served as a vegetable in savory dishes. They contain lycopene, which has great health benefits, vitamin c, potassium and folate. They are served fresh or cooked and can be roasted, canned, dehydrated or frozen for use later.

• Orzo Pasta: Also known as risoni, is a pasta shaped like a large grain of rice. Orzo is traditionally made from white flour, but it can also be made of whole grain. The name orzo is common for this pasta in North America, but risoni is most common in Italy. Rinse the orzo only if it will be baked or served cool in a salad. Otherwise, do not rinse as rinsing removes a coating of starch that helps sauces and seasonings cling to the pasta.

• Vinaigrette: This type of dressing is made by mixing oil with something acidic such as vinegar or lemon juice. The mixture can be enhanced with salt, herbs or spices. It is most commonly used as a salad dressing, but can also be used as a marinade.

Other orzo recipes you may like:

• Cheesy Spinach Rice and Orzo
• Beefy Mushroom, Onion and Orzo Soup
• Cheesy Baked Orzo
• Spinach Parmesan Orzo with Spinach and Bell Pepper
• Orzo and Mushroom Casserole
• Orzo Ranch Pasta Salad

This recipe is ready in these steps:

• In a medium saucepan, cook the orzo in the broth
• Drain and rinse with cold water
• In a bowl, combine ingredients
• Refrigerate until serving

Full recipe below

You can add or substitute with the following ingredients:

• diced red onion
• chopped fresh spinach
• balsamic vinaigrette
• fresh mozzarella cheese
• fresh sliced strawberries
• garlic powder
• shredded or grated parmesan cheese
• diced bell pepper
• zesty Italian dressing
• cooked macaroni pasta

Looking for more summer pasta salad recipes?

• Ranch Vermicelli Pasta Salad
• Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
• Ham, Egg, Cheese and Veggie Pasta Salad
• BLT Pasta Salad
• Mom's Tuna and Pea Pasta Salad
• Amish Macaroni Salad

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I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!


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Tomato and Cucumber Orzo Salad

Yield: 8 servings

Author: Hot Eats and Cool Reads

Ingredients:

• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 1/2 cups English or baby cucumbers, quartered or halved and sliced
• 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 cup red wine vinaigrette
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

1. In a medium saucepan, cook the orzo in the broth according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until orzo is cooled completely.
2. In a bowl, combine orzo, tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, vinaigrette, salt and pepper.
3. Refrigerate until serving. 

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