I have brought this salad to every potluck & barbecue we’ve been invited to all summer!

It’s a huge hit!

The recipe I share is the ‘bare bones’ but for extra protein: add chickpeas and/or rotisserie chicken. For extra veggies: I love it tossed with some baby spinach or arugula!

Ingredients

3 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil 
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
16 oz orzo pasta (also great with bow ties)
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, quartered + plus 2 tablespoons brine
1/3 cup red onion, diced* 
1 English cucumber, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red or orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup feta cheese (optional)

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water in a colander.

2. In a large bowl, combine the dressing ingredients + olives

3. Dice the cucumber, tomato and bell pepper and add to the bowl with dressing.

4. Finally, stir in the pasta and toss well.

Optional: Add feta cheese just before serving. I also like to serve with a lemon wedge to squeeze over individual serving before eating. For extra protein, add chickpeas and/or rotisserie chicken. Love it tossed with some baby spinach or arugula!

 I made this batch for meal prep. I will mix in some greens right before eating. I left out the red onion because I don’t like how it tastes in the salad after sitting in the fridge for a few days. If I was making this to bring straight to a BBQ, I would definitely add the red onion & feta. 

This recipe was adapted from the brilliant Skinnytaste. I cut back on the amount of oil and salt she uses.