Asparagus Orzo Salad Lemon Vinaigrette (Printable Version)
Fresh asparagus, orzo and cherry tomatoes tossed in lemon vinaigrette—serve chilled or at room temperature.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
04 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
→ Pasta
05 - 1 cup dry orzo pasta
→ Dairy (optional)
06 - 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
→ Lemon Vinaigrette
07 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
09 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
10 - 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
11 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
12 - 1 garlic clove, minced
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
14 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
# Directions:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add orzo and cook according to package directions, about 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add asparagus pieces. Drain and rinse under cold water to halt cooking.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper until fully emulsified.
03 - In a large bowl, mix cooked orzo, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and parsley. Pour the lemon vinaigrette over the mixture and toss thoroughly to coat.
04 - Gently fold in crumbled feta cheese if using, taking care not to break up the vegetables.
05 - Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or pepper if needed. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
# Quick Tips:
01 -
- It’s secretly the quickest way to impress at a gathering when you barely had time to cook anything else.
- The leftovers taste even brighter the next day, which I discovered was a small miracle after a long shift.
02 -
- If you let the asparagus cook too long, it’ll lose its snappy green and become mushy fast.
- I once forgot to zest the lemon before juicing – now I always zest first so there’s no struggle!
03 -
- Letting the salad cool before adding the feta keeps it from melting into the pasta.
- Rinse orzo with cold water to stop the cooking and keep it from sticking together in a clump.