Appetizers / Soups / Salads

Mediterranean Orzo Salad takes 30 minutes to prepare.

Mediterranean Orzo Salad takes 20 minutes to cook.

Mediterranean Orzo Salad makes 12 servings.

The ingredients for Mediterranean Orzo Salad are:

1 cup walnut halves
1 cucubmer
1 red bell pepper
1 yello bell pepper
Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups dry orzo pasta
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1/2 cup diced scallions
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 1/4 cups crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup Lemon Vinaigrette (see other recipes on Sparkpeople)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Here is how you make Mediterranean Orzo Salad:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.2. Spread the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast on the center rack of the oven for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool, then coarsely chop and set aside.3. Peel and core the cucumber and cut into 1/2" cubes. Core the red and yellow peppers and cut them into 1/2" square pieces. Set aside.4. Fill a large saucepan two-thirds full of water. Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Drop in the pasta and simmer until just al dente. Remove pan from heat and drain pasta by running cold tap water over the colander for a few minutes. Shake to remove excess water and transfer the cooled pasta to a medium bowl. Toss with a TBS of olive oile if desired to keep the pasta from sticking together.5. Add the toasted walnuts, cucumbers, peppers, olives, scallions, basil, parsley and feta. Drizzle in the Lemon Vinaigrette and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and store in refrigerator for up to 2 days.Number of Servings: 12Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user ABINSMOM.

The nutritional information for Mediterranean Orzo Salad is:

• Servings Per Recipe: 12
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 255.4

• Total Fat: 16.0 g
• Cholesterol: 13.4 mg
• Sodium: 328.2 mg
• Total Carbs: 23.5 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.7 g
• Protein: 7.1 g