Eat Your Greens Chicken Orzo Salad

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If you’re not on the orzo train yet then I suggest you get on board because it’s delicious! Orzo is a small pasta shape that is a bit bigger than rice and makes up the base of this salad. It makes this salad feel really hearty and filling. I’ve used gluten-free orzo, which is made from brown rice but most orzo is made from durum wheat. The orzo adds this really nice chewy texture and makes this salad more of a main dish than a side dish, but it could be either! 

Contents:

For more meal prep style salads, try this Easy Creamy Chickpea Salad, Moroccan Chickpea Salad or this Tuna Corn Salad. 

Everything You Need to Make Orzo Salad

I’ve listed all of the ingredients that you will need to make this delicious cold pasta salad below, including any possible notes and substitutions. The ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. 

• Orzo pasta – I’ve used gluten-free orzo pasta and it worked really well but you can use regular orzo if you’re not gluten intolerant. Cook it in a large pot of salted water until it’s just al dente, following the package directions. If you can’t find gluten free orzo, gluten free risoni is a very similar size and shape, or you could use small gluten free pasta shells.
• Chicken breasts – I’ve used chicken breast in this recipe but you can swap for chicken thighs if preferred. Or if you’re wanting to reduce the cooking time you can swap for rotisserie chicken. To make this salad vegan, swap for drained and rinsed cooked chickpeas. 
• Frozen peas – you can use fresh or frozen peas or swap for Edamame or thinly sliced snow peas. 
• Asparagus – snap or cut the woody ends off before slicing into 2 cm pieces. If asparagus isn’t in season, you could substitute sugar snap peas or green beans, cut to a similar size.
• Broccoli – cut the broccoli into very small florets so they blanch quickly and evenly. You could also use broccolini if you prefer, just cut it into smaller pieces.
• Radish – the thinly sliced radish adds a gorgeous pop of colour and a fresh peppery crunch that gives the salad a little bite and freshness. If you’re not a radish fan, thinly sliced English cucumber or Persian cucumbers would give you a similar crunch. Or swap for thinly sliced or diced red onion. 

Salad Dressing Ingredients

• Spring onions – the spring onions are the magic ingredient in the salad dressing. They add a beautiful mild onion flavour without being overpowering. Make sure to chop them into pieces small enough for your blender to handle.
• Fresh coriander and fresh parsley – these two herbs together give the dressing its beautiful green colour and fresh, vibrant flavour. Use the leaves and stems for both. If you’re not a fan of coriander (cilantro), either increase the amount of parsley or swap for other fresh herbs like fresh mint or basil. 
• Fresh lemon juice – freshly squeezed lemon juice is best here. You’ll need roughly 1-2 lemons depending on how juicy they are. You can swap for apple cider vinegar if need be.
• Extra virgin olive oil – use a good quality extra virgin olive oil in the dressing. A fruity, mild olive oil works best. You can also swap for avocado oil.
• Garlic – I found one clove of garlic to be perfect in this dressing but if you really love garlic you can add an extra clove. 
• Dijon mustard – use a quality Dijon mustard. 

Make it Your Own

Feel free to get creative and add or swap out ingredients in the salad! Here are some other vegetables and ingredients that you could use:

• feta cheese
• kalamata olives
• bell peppers / capsicum 
• grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
• artichoke hearts
• baby spinach
• chickpeas (for extra protein!)

Tips for the Best Orzo Salad

This orzo salad is really easy to throw together. Here are some tips so that it works out perfectly every time!

• Salt your pasta water generously – don’t skip this step! Bring the water to the boil and then add salt. Don’t be shy! Remember that most of the water is strained so you won’t be consuming that much salt but cooking the orzo in brine like water really adds to the flavour. 
• Stir the orzo as it cooks – otherwise it will stick to the bottom of the pan and clump together.
• Don’t overcook the orzo – cook it until it’s just al dente, with a slight chewiness. It’ll soften a little more as it sits, especially once the dressing is added. Overcooked orzo will turn mushy and clump together.
• Get your ice bath ready before you blanch – have a bowl of icy water sitting next to your boiling water before you start blanching the vegetables. You want to transfer them quickly so they stop cooking immediately. This is what keeps the veggies bright green, crisp and not overdone.
• Don’t over-blanch the vegetables – 30 seconds is all you need. The peas, asparagus and broccoli should still have plenty of bite. 
• Let the chicken rest briefly before cutting – once your chicken is cooked through, let it sit for a couple of minutes before cutting into bite-sized pieces. This helps keep the chicken juicy rather than drying out.
• Blend the dressing until smooth and creamy – a bullet blender or small food processor works best. Blend on high until everything is completely smooth. You don’t want any chunks of herbs. Taste and season with sea salt and cracked black pepper before pouring over the salad.
• Toss the salad while the orzo is still slightly warm – If you’re making this ahead, you can serve it straight from the fridge, but mixing the salad together while the pasta is warm (not hot) is easier as it doesn’t clump together. 

Storage

To meal prep, divide the salad between 4-6 airtight containers (depending on how big a serve you would like) and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. This is a large salad, perfect for feeding more then one person. If making ahead for a gathering or bbq, transfer to one large airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Eat Your Greens Chicken Orzo Salad

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By: Sarah Bell

This Chicken Orzo Salad is so flavoursome and an excellent way to get in your greens! It makes for perfect meal prep lunches or a salad to serve to friends and family. It has chewy al dente orzo, perfectly cooked chicken, crunchy blanched broccoli, asparagus and green peas and peppery radish all coated in a seriously flavoursome lemon herb dressing. 

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Equipment

• ▢
  Large saucepan
• ▢
  Large frying pan
• ▢
  Sharp knife
• ▢
  Chopping Board
• ▢
  2 large bowl heat proof
• ▢
  Slotted spoon

Ingredients

• ▢ 340 grams gluten free orzo pasta, 1 2/3 cups
• ▢ 500 grams chicken breasts, cut in half widthways
• ▢ 1 cup frozen peas
• ▢ 1 bunch asparagus, woody end removed, cut into 2 cm lengths
• ▢ 1 small head broccoli, cut into very small florets
• ▢ 1 bunch radish, topped, tailed and thinly sliced

Dressing

• ▢ 3 spring onions, ends removed, chopped in four pieces
• ▢ handful fresh coriander
• ▢ handful fresh parsley
• ▢ 50 mL lemon juice, about 1 large lemon
• ▢ 60 mL extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 clove garlic
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

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Instructions 

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt liberally before adding the orzo. Continue to boil with the lid off until the orzo is tender and al dente. Turn off the heat and strain the orzo through a heat proof colander. Set aside.
2. While the orzo is cooking, bring a large frying pan to a medium heat. While the pan is heating up, season the chicken breasts well with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan and then the chicken breasts. Cook for around 6 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove from the pan and rest for 5 minutes before cutting into bite sized pieces.
3. Add the peas, asparagus and broccoli to a heat proof bowl. Have a second bowl half filled with icy water ready to go. Pour boiling water from the kettle over the vegetables. Use a heat proof slotted spoon to remove the vegetables from the boiling water after about 30 seconds and transfer into the icy water. After a minute, strain the vegetables and add to a large salad bowl along with the cooked orzo, cooked chicken breast and the sliced radish.
4. To make the dressing, add the spring onions, coriander, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and Dijon mustard to a bullet blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Taste and season with sea salt and cracked black pepper.
5. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to combine.

Notes

Nutrition facts are an estimate only. 

Storage

Store in an airtight container or if meal prepping, divide between 4-6 airtight containers, depending on how large a serving you would like. Store in the fridge for 3 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 462kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 31gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 168mgPotassium: 1016mgFiber: 8gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1471IUVitamin C: 111mgCalcium: 97mgIron: 4mg

Course: Mains,Salad

Cuisine: Australian,Mediterranean

Diet: Diabetic,Gluten Free,Low Lactose

Keyword: meal prep salad,orzo,pasta salad

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