This Easy Chicken and Orzo Salad is really the essence of that the Mediterranean Diet is all about.
Not only do you have your pasta, you also have your Mediterranean vegetables all in one bowl.

Easy Chicken and Orzo Salad

I love that this is a light salad that packs a punch when it comes to goodness.
The orzo certainly adds to the texture making this salad even tastier to the mouth.

I also like that there is a ‘cheat’ involved in this recipe.
I will touch on that ‘cheat’ in a moment. However, it will go a long way to making this recipe an even easier one for you to make.

I should also mention that this dish can certainly be served in different ways.

My first intention for this delicious orzo salad would be to serve it as a main dish for dinner.
It really is tasty enough to do so and it also covers the grain, vegetable, and protein that a dinner meal usually requires for many of us.

However, you could also serve this orzo and chicken salad in other ways as well.
By that I mean you could omit the chicken and serve this salad as an appetizer surrounding a baked chicken breast or some baked tofu.
Also, I could also see enjoying the leftovers of this chicken and orzo salad on the next day for lunch.

Orzo really is an interesting kind of a pasta.

While orzo technically is a barley pasta, it also can be used as a rice substitute.
Orzo really does resemble rice in a lot of ways that are enough to use it as a substitute.

As far as being a pasta goes, orzo resembles few of the other pastas.
Obviously, orzo is not long and flimsy like a noodle or similar kind of pasta.
Orzo is also smaller and shaped differently than the other kinds of pastas such as macaroni and ziti.

What you should know about Orzo is that it is usually made with white flour.

However, whole wheat flour is what is recommended on the Mediterranean Diet.
Thus, if you are a follower of the Mediterranean Diet, you should look for an orzo that is made with wheat flour.

Finding a wheat flour orzo is not that hard to do, thankfully for many of us.

There are also some great wine parings that can go with this recipe for an orzo salad.

I like the taste of a nice Pinot Noir with this kind of pasta. The taste really seems to go well with the olive oil and other tastes in this recipe. Rose is another nice paring for this recipe.

By the way, while you are here you may also be interested in these ideas.

• How to Make Homemade Hummus.
• Easy Roasted and Salted Chickpeas.
• How to Follow the Mediterranean Diet.

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Easy Chicken and Orzo Salad

This is really a light and tasty salad.
I think this salad is perfect for a spring or summer meal.

However, this orzo salad would probably taste great any time of the year.
While I make this recipe with chicken, you could omit the chicken in your meal or sub in something different such as tofu or shrimp.
This is also a great salad to make a head of time to bring to a picnic or similar gathering.

What you will need to make this recipe.

As mentioned, you will need orzo for this recipe. However, Orzo is that it is usually made with white flour. if you are following the Mediterranean Diet, you will need a wheat flour orzo, which you can easily find online. .

You will also need chicken for this recipe.
I suggest using a precooked chicken breast such as chicken strips or chunks. However, even better would be to use leftover chicken breast or a rotisserie chicken from the local grocery store.

Ingredients needed for this recipe for chicken orzo salad.

• Wheat Flour Orzo – 1 cup uncooked.
• Lemon Juice– 2 teaspoons.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil– 1-2 tablespoons or as needed.
• Chicken– 1 cup, precooked, in chunks, strips, or shredded.
• Cherry Tomatoes– 4-5, sliced in half.
• Feta Cheese– ¼- ⅓ cup crumbled.
• Red Peppers– 2 tablespoons chopped.
• Chopped Sweet Onions– 1-2 tablespoons.
• Chopped Oregano or basil– 1 tablespoon.
• Optional- chopped olives as well as seasonings such as salt and pepper as needed.

How to make this Easy Chicken and Orzo Salad

.

• Cook your orzo as directed on the package. Tip: use a chicken broth or bullion cube added to the water for additional taste. Drain the pasta when done and allow to cool.
• In a small bowl or container, make the dressing by whisking together the olive oil and lemon juice. You can add salt and pepper as desired to this mixture. Set this aside as you assemble your salad.
• Now in a larger bowl, combine together the cooked orzo and the chicken. The nadd the tomatoes, cheese, red peppers, and sweet onions.
• Drizzle the dressing from the first step and toss. Add additional olive oil to coat the ingredients if needed.
• Top the salad with the chopped oregano and any optional additional ingredients as desired.

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