Change your Salad Game with Orzo

If you are a salad freak, have run out of fun ideas and never heard of orzo before, this article is for you. Add more vitamins, minerals and fiber while making a great and new addition to your recipe repertoire.

What is Orzo?

Shaped like a grain of rice, and commonly mistaken as one, orzo is actually a type of pasta. Made from wheat flour, semolina flour (which is, at the same time, a product of durum wheat), white flour or whole-grain flour, orzo can have a white or yellow color, depending on its ingredients and it is a staple ingredient in Italian cuisine. Also known as risoni or pastina, this is versatile pasta that can be used for risotto, winter soups with vegetable or chicken broths, and many, many salads. This pastina can also be prepared with sundried tomatoes, spinach, whole wheat, and it can even be gluten-free (made out of corn and rice).

Where does orzo come from?

It would make sense to believe that orzo comes from Italy. However, it is believed that this pastina originated in Greece many centuries ago, and spread through the Mediterranean basin, then across the Otoman empire (what nowadays is Turkey and its neighbor countries). It is a wheat-based pasta that perfectly substitutes rice in many preparations.

There are many varieties that can be found in Italy: star-shaped orzo, anellini (shaped like little stars), acini di pepe (shaped like pepper corns), semi di melone (like melon seeds); they are all used for the same purposes mentioned above.

Health benefits of orzo

When consumed in the appropriate amounts, the benefits of orzo are those that can be found in many kinds of pasta. Its carbohydrates are the perfect fuel for our bodies and brain, and it helps in keeping us fuller for longer periods of time. When consuming whole-grain orzo, the vitamins, minerals and fibers present help reduce our risk of developing serious diseases like diabetes.One more important thing to mention is that orzo may help us to try other foods: since it has a neutral flavor and it is so versatile, it can be eaten with just some olive oil, salt and pepper, or with fancy ingredients such as roasted cherry tomatoes, artichokes and hard cheeses for a nourishing salad.

Upgrade your salad game with orzo

Orzo’s short shape makes it the perfect ingredient to add to your salads; besides, since it takes no effort in cooking, it can easily become your go-to pantry staple.To make a delicious Mediterranean orzo salad, this is what you will need:

Ingredients:

2 green onions.
1 and 1/2 cups dry orzo pasta.
1 green bell pepper.
2 teaspoons capers
1/2 cup chopped dill.
1 cup chopped parsley.
1 pint of cherry tomatoes.
Feta cheese to your liking.
Toasted walnuts to your liking.
Olive oil.
Garlic cloves.
Dried oregano.
Lemon juice.

Instructions:

Start by cooking the orzo pasta. Put water in a large pan and cook the orzo according to package instructions. You can get your orzo pasta here: https://riceselect.com/product/orzo. It approximately takes eight to ten minutes.
Start by chopping all your vegetables. Combine the green onions, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes cut in halves, parsley, olives, capers and dill in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
Now is time to make the dressing: in a smaller bowl, add the juice of a lemon and its zest, a minced garlic clove (or two, depending on how much you enjoy the garlic taste), one teaspoon of dried oregano and 1/4 cups of extra virgin olive oil. Add some black pepper and salt to taste and whisk to combine.
Time to mix all the ingredients together! Drain the cooked orzo, drizzle the pastina with olive oil and add it to your chopped vegetables. Add the dressing and combine. It is paramount that all ingredients are coated with dressing.
Cut some feta cheese into big pieces and toasted walnuts to your liking and enjoy!

Extra tips:

Dress the orzo while it is still warm. This helps improve the flavor.
Finely chop all your vegetables. Smaller bites distribute better the pasta and dressing ratio, creating the perfect texture.
Allow your salad to rest in the fridge for an hour before eating it; it will help all flavors to meld.