This orzo pasta salad with broccoli, bell pepper, red onion, fresh herbs, and chickpeas is a great warm-weather side dish for BBQs and potlucks. It’s tossed in a lemony mustard vinaigrette making it a fresh and light summer side dish for grilled steak, chicken, or seafood. Make it ahead to let all the flavors marry together and serve it cold or at room temperature.
Table of contents
I first shared this orzo pasta salad back in May of 2016 and since then it’s been one of my favorite summer side dishes and a favorite among readers, too. But, as is the case with some of the older recipes on this site, it was due for a little upgrade.
The recipe is the same except for a few tweaks that have evolved since the first time I shared it so last week I made a batch and snapped some new photos. Memorial Day and the official start of summer is just around the corner so the timing couldn’t have been better.
Ingredients
- Dijon mustard
- Balsamic vinegar
- Fresh lemon juice
- Salt and black pepper
- Olive oil
- Broccoli florets
- Orzo
- Red bell pepper, finely diced
- Finely chopped red onion
- Chopped fresh parsley
- Chickpeas
Vegetables
For the broccoli, I like to blanch the florets first before adding them to the salad. Blanching is just a fancy way of saying “boiling” for a few minutes, in this case, two minutes, and then “shocking” it in ice water to stop the cooking process.
Blanching the broccoli partially cooks it so it’s a bit more tender. It also intensifies its color so when you add the broccoli to the salad it’s speckled with bright green bits of broccoli. I like to blanch the broccoli first and then use the same water to boil the orzo.
The salad also has sweet red bell pepper and red onion. Because the orzo pasta is small, I like to cut the veggies into small pieces so everything is of similar size. Once the broccoli is blanched and cooled, I like to finely chop it before adding it to the salad.
Orzo
Orzo is a type of pasta that looks like rice. It’s small in shape and I like using it in salads like this one and also in soups like my Pesto Orzo Chicken Soup.
After you’ve blanched the broccoli, you can use the same water to boil the pasta. Orzo typically takes about 10 minutes so while it boils you can prepare the dressing.
Salad Dressing
The only thing I’ve adjusted since the first time I made this is the dressing. I’ve heard from some readers that they love the dressing as it was, but after a few readers commented that they increased the amount of mustard I found that I preferred with a bit more mustard, too. So for the dressing, you will need:
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 of cup olive oil
The dressing is a simple whisking operation. I mix in a big mixing bowl or serving bowl and then add all of the other ingredients to toss them together.
It’s pretty tangy on its own, but once combined with all of the salad ingredients, it mellows a bit. If you’ve made this salad before and prefer the less-mustardy version, I’ve included the original amounts in the recipe card notes.
Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
The last ingredient are canned chickpeas which I drain and rinse before tossing in the salad. They make the salad a bit more substantial and are delicious with the dressing and veggies.
I recommend making this salad a day in advance and refrigerate it to give the flavors a chance to fully develop and marry together. This orzo pasta salad recipe is great for summer because it’s delicious cold or at room temperature and goes with all of your favorite summer main dishes like steak, burgers, and grilled chicken.
Other Add-Ins
You can also toss in a few other veggies and herbs like fresh basil, finely chopped artichoke hearts, finely diced English cucumber, and chopped Kalamata olives. Or add a little cheese like crumbled feta cheese or grated Parmesan cheese. It’s really versatile and easy to customize based on what you have on hand.
Happy Cooking,
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More Summer Salad Recipes
- Steak Taco Salad | This fast and fresh salad for two has tender pan-seared sirloin, creamy diced avocado, black beans, pepper jack cheese, and a super simple 3-ingredient salsa verde dressing.
- BLT Pasta Salad | This is always a favorite at summer get-togethers or game-day parties. The pasta tossed in a cool and creamy dressing with plenty of crispy bacon, fresh tomatoes, and chopped spinach.
- Tortellini Pasta Salad | This tortellini pasta salad with roasted bacon, broccoli, fresh cherry tomatoes, and a lemon dressing is a delicious main dish or side dish for summer.
- Fruit Salad with Citrus-Mint Dressing | This easy fruit salad is made with fresh berries and a zingy citrus-mint dressing. It’s a fresh no-cook side dish that goes with all the summer dishes whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
- Greek Tortellini Salad | Fresh Mediterranean flavors paired with cheese tortellini and a tangy dressing makes a delicious pasta salad.
- Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad | Creamy ranch pasta salad with bacon, smoked cheddar cheese, green peas, and parsley is a great summer salad for all the potlucks and BBQs.
📣 Do you love this recipe? I would love to know! Leave a comment below the recipe along with your recipe star rating.
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Orzo Pasta Salad
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This orzo pasta salad is light and summery and a great side dish for BBQs and potlucks because it’s delicious served cold or at room temperature. It’s is full of fresh broccoli, red bell pepper, red onion, and chickpeas and is dressed with a lemony Dijon vinaigrette. I recommend making the salad at least a few hours in advance so the flavors can develop.
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (see note)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
For the Salad
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 1 cup orzo
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 (16-ounce can) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Instructions
- Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, combine the mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add the olive oil and whisk until combined. Place ice cubes and water in a medium-sized bowl.
- Blanch the Broccoli: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and boil them for 2 minutes. Using a large slotted spoon, scoop them out of the water and submerge them in the bowl with the ice and water to stop them cooking. Drain them and set them aside.
- Boil the Orzo: In the same pot that you used to boil the broccoli, boil the orzo. There’s no need to change the water, just be sure to bring it back to a rolling boil before adding the pasta. I like to season the water with a tablespoon of salt, but this is optional. Cook the orzo according to package directions. While the orzo is boiling, chop the cooled broccoli florets into small pieces.
- Assemble the Salad: Drain the orzo and transfer it to a large bowl. Add the broccoli, bell pepper, red onion, chopped parsley, chickpeas, and lemon juice. Pour the dressing over the top and toss until well combined. Serve the salad chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
- I first shared this recipe in 2016 and I have since updated the amount of mustard. If you liked the original version, reduce the amount of mustard to 1 teaspoon. This updated version has 1 tablespoon which gives the salad a bit more tanginess.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salads
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 283
- Sugar: 6.6g
- Sodium: 2711.88mg
- Fat: 11.2g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38.6g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 9.4g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: orzo pasta salad, broccoli pasta salad
Recipe, photos, and post updated from the archives. First published in May 2016.
raju says
Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.
★★★★★
Shirley says
I live in Ontario Canada, so product names are different. But I am wondering about a brand of tortellini that is actually good to eat.? Thanking you.
April Anderson says
I use several brands and I find most of them are the same – I like frozen cheese tortellini because it cooks really fast – usually less than five minutes.
Annu Verma says
When you say 1 cup of orzo, is this cooked or uncooked orzo?
April Anderson says
Uncooked – you boil it in step 3 🙂
Annu Verma says
Thank you 🙂
Shristi Patni says
Hi April! Great recipe! Inspired by you, I’ve started my own blog and would be honoured to know what you think.
★★★★★
Andrea says
What is the sodium content for this recipe?
April Anderson says
Hi – the nutrition estimate has been updated with this info
tls says
Why is the font so light on your website? It’s very difficult to read.
April Anderson says
I actually just changed it because, I agree – it was hard to read! Hope it works better for you now 🙂
Neeraj Soni says
Hiii….!!
This is Neeraj from F and B Stories. First of all, I would like to thank you for sharing such a delicious recepie, the recepie is amazing, delicious, and yumm….!!
it looks soo simple & dijon mustard is listed on the ingredients was superb…..
keep sharing
cheers 🙂
Cleo says
Loved it… but needed to add more mustard and vinegar for more flavor.
★★★★
K Evans says
Recipe is great! The dijon mustard is listed on the ingredients but not incorporated in the recipe. We whisked it in with the balsamic vinegar and lemon juice , then added the oil and it turned out great. (We preferred a little more mustard than listed). Nice light, quick, yummy summer side dish!
★★★★
April says
Oh, thank you for pointing that out! Yes, the mustard is combined with the lemon and balsamic 🙂 So, glad you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing your adjustments!