Orzo Salad {Greek-Inspired}

Name: Cherry Tomato Orzo Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 8 ounces orzo pasta; Kosher salt; 1 pint red cherry tomatoes, sliced in half; 1 pint yellow cherry tomatoes, sliced in half; 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled; 1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped; 2 green onions, thinly sliced; 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano; 1 lemon, juiced; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

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I am not the most talented of gardeners. I over-water, under-water, over-fertilize, under-mulch. I plant little plants behind big plants, blocking out their sun.

I then transplant my poorly placed plants to what I'm hoping will be a better location and almost kill them in the process.

No, if a plant survives with me in charge it's because it's one heckofa sturdy plant, or just has a strong will to live.

I have been getting better at this over the years, but it still surprises me how difficult growing tomatoes can be, with the singular exception of the glorious Sun Gold tomato. Do you know about the Sun Gold? It's a cherry tomato, or the size and shape of a cherry tomato, but brightly orange colored when ripe.

sungold-tomato-horiz-a-1600 — Elise Bauer

It's sweet, juicy, and sunshine in a bite. The plant scoffs at wilt. If nematodes bother it, you wouldn't know. It grows like kudzu, faster than it can die from whatever may be killing our other tomatoes.

About this time of year, we have to reinforce our Sun Gold plant cages with rebar. This entails my father, a sledgehammer, and me holding on to the rebar praying that my dad's aim is true.

Next year I'm going to plant more Sun Golds. I have one in my garden, and two at the garden I maintain at my parent's house.

And it's not enough.

One plant, even as prolific as it is, is just enough for tomato candy for one person throughout the growing season. You know, tomato candy: going out to the garden and picking the cherry tomatoes and eating them on the spot, like candy.

I picked a bunch of tomatoes from this plant (pictured) for the following salad. And then I ate the tomatoes and had to go buy more at the store. At least the oregano came from the garden!

About this orzo pasta salad. It's excellent! Like a Greek salad with orzo pasta and without olives. Though you could easily add olives to this orzo salad if you wanted to.

You could probably make this orzo salad into a with quinoa salad by using it instead of the orzo, though I haven't tried it that way yet. And if you like this orzo salad, maybe you'll want to plant some cherry tomatoes in your garden too. (I recommend Sun Golds.)

Cherry Tomato Orzo Salad

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Servings 8 to 10 servings

Kosher salt
8 ounces orzo pasta
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pint red cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 pint yellow cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano
1 lemon, juiced
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Boil the orzo:

Bring a large pot of well salted water to a rolling boil. Add the orzo, stirring it so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Cook, uncovered, at a high boil until al dente, cooked through but still a bit firm.

Drain the pasta (it helps to use a fine mesh sieve for this as the small orzo might pass through holes in a colander), and rinse with cold water to stop the pasta from cooking further.
Toss the pasta with the remaining ingredients:

Toss the pasta with the olive oil in a large bowl. At this point you can make ahead and chill until you are ready to serve (or transport to a party).

Toss with the rest of the ingredients, the tomatoes, feta cheese, cucumber, green onions, oregano, lemon juice, and black pepper. The feta is salty so you shouldn't need to add more salt.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
179	Calories
11g	Fat
16g	Carbs
6g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories	179
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g	14%
Saturated Fat 4g	21%
Cholesterol 20mg	7%
Sodium 245mg	11%
Total Carbohydrate 16g	6%
Dietary Fiber 2g	6%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 17mg	83%
Calcium 133mg	10%
Iron 1mg	6%
Potassium 258mg	5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.