Summer Roasted Vegetable Orzo Salad with Fresh Basil
Yield: 8Servings
Prep Time: 20 minutesmins
Cook Time: 20 minutesmins
Total Time: 40 minutesmins
Ingredients
Lemon Vinaigrette:
3tablespoonsred wine vinegar
1tablespoonfresh lemon juice
½teaspoonsugar or honey
¼cupolive oil
¼teaspoonsalt
Pinchof black pepper
Vegetables:
2cupsbroccoli florets in bite-size pieces
2mediumzucchini, diced in bite-size pieces
1red pepper, seeded, stemmed and diced
1tablespoonolive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Salad:
8ouncesorzo pasta
1 to 2cupscherry tomatoes, halved
¼ to ½cuptorn or chopped fresh basil
¼cupfeta cheese, crumbled
¼ to ½cuptoasted pine nuts or sunflower seeds
Instructions
For the vinaigrette, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, sugar or honey, olive oil, salt and pepper until emulsified and well-combined. Set aside (this can be made several days in advance and refrigerated - just whisk together again before using).
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Toss the vegetables with the olive oil and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes; give them a good stir and cook for 10-15 minutes more until tender.
While the vegetables cook, bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the orzo until al dente. Immediately after cooking and draining, add the orzo to a serving bowl, drizzle on half of the vinaigrette dressing and toss to combine.
Scrape the roasted vegetables into the bowl with the orzo and give it a good stir. Add the cherry tomatoes and fresh basil and toss to combine. Add the rest of the vinaigrette and stir until everything is evenly coated. Sprinkle the feta cheese and pine nuts on top. Serve immediately at room temperature.
Notes
Want a no oven option? try grilling the vegetables (the broccoli might be tricky, but you could cut the zucchini into spears for the grill and grill the red pepper whole) and then dicing up for the salad.Adaptable: it probably goes without mention, but the vegetable options are endlessly adaptable so go crazy! Salad Temperature: this salad is best served at room temperature just after it's assembled but I'm not going to lie, the leftovers eaten straight from the fridge (that was all me, my mother-in-law had some warmed up just slightly) are pretty darn good, too.Pine Nuts: I love pine nuts like crazy but I fully recognize that these days, you might have to sell your firstborn child to afford them. I keep a bag stashed in the freezer for occasional salads like this but feel free to try subbing in sunflower seeds, chopped pistachios, or leave them out.