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This lemon orzo salad recipe is a fresh, healthy, and colorful summer salad with chicken that’s a breeze to make! It’s ready in about 30 minutes.
Try this Easy Italian Pasta Salad or Avocado Corn Salad next.
Why you’ll love it
Orzo is extremely popular lately, so I’m thrilled to bring you even more recipes with it. You loved this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, so I’ve come up with this irresistible orzo salad with chicken and fresh vegetables and a quick lemon honey dressing that’s simple to make.
This bright lemon orzo pasta salad is easily customizable and lends itself to substitutions or additions. My mantra has always been that summer recipes like salads should be fuss-free. Enjoy this one outside on the patio with a glass of prosecco, or use it for meal prep!
What you’ll need
For the salad
- Orzo – you’ll find this small rice-shaped pasta in the dry pasta aisle
- Cucumbers – I prefer using mini (Persian) cucumbers, but if you can’t find them, half a regular English one works just fine
- Tomatoes – use grape, cherry, or any little tomato variety
- Onion – red onion is the ideal kind for salads since it’s less sharp than other varieties and packs a crunch
- Arugula – for some green goodness
- Chicken – I just bought a rotisserie chicken for ease, but if you’ve got a leftover Roast Chicken, that’s great too
- Parmesan – always use freshly grated
- Basil – for a pop of freshness
For the dressing
- Lemon – we’re using both lemon juice and zest for ultimate brightness
- Olive oil – a good base to any salad dressing
- Honey – for a hint of sweetness and balance
- Garlic – use even more if you’re a big fan of garlic!
- Salt & pepper – as with any pasta salad, it’s important to be generous
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I like to use this garlic press to mince it since you don’t even need to peel the cloves first, and a Microplane is great to effortlessly zest/grate the lemon and parmesan.
- One of these large glass prep bowls is pictured.
- Store the rest of your lemon in this cute lemon saver for freshness.
Make ahead tip
If you want to make this salad ahead of time or for meal prep, I suggest leaving out the arugula. That way, it’ll last in the fridge a few days no problem. Just mix in the arugula and toss with the dressing when you’re ready to eat it.
How to make lemon orzo salad
This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Boil a salted pot of water, and cook the orzo al dente. Rinse with cool water, drain, and transfer the pasta to a large bowl.
- Prep and chop all the salad ingredients and add to the bowl.
- Add the dressing ingredients to a jar or small bowl and mix thoroughly. Toss the salad with the dressing, and enjoy!
Substitutions and variations
- This salad is very forgiving. Feel free to throw in any fresh herbs you may have in the garden, swap the arugula for spinach, can be vegetarian without the chicken, etc.
- I use a rotisserie chicken for this recipe, but you can definitely quickly cook some chicken if you have some. Try pan frying it with your favorite seasoning, and it’ll be delicious.
- Kalamata olives and/or capers would go great in here if you’re a fan for a briny quality.
What to serve with orzo salad
- It makes a fantastic lighter main course, so it’s perfect on its own or with a slice of crusty bread.
- You can also leave out the chicken, and then it makes a perfect complement for seafood recipes such as my Easy Pan Seared Salmon Recipe or these Tequila Lime Shrimp.
Leftovers and storage
- As mentioned above, this orzo salad will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days no problem if you leave out the arugula.
- If this salad has been sitting out in the sun for any amount of time, I’d eat it right away or discard it for food safety reasons.
More pasta salad recipes
Leave me a comment below if you have any questions or if you made this orzo salad. As always, tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram if you’ve made one of my recipes!
Lemon Orzo Salad with Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked orzo
- 2 mini cucumbers (or 1/2 English cucumber) chopped
- 1 cup little tomatoes (grape/cherry/etc.) cut into quarters
- 2 tablespoons red onion chopped
- 2 cups (loosely packed) fresh arugula optional
- 2 cups cooked/rotisserie chicken
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil sliced thin
Dressing:
- 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice + zest of 1 lemon
- 2.5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 clove garlic minced
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil a salted pot of water and cook the orzo al dente according to package directions. Once it's done, rinse it with cool water and let it drain thoroughly. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Meanwhile, prep all the salad ingredients and add them to the bowl. If you're not going to eat the salad right away, I suggest skipping the arugula.
- Add the dressing ingredients to a jar or small bowl, and whisk/shake until well combined.
- Toss the salad with the dressing. Add more lemon/oil if needed. I also add plenty of salt & pepper – there's a lot of pasta in here, so you need to salt it well so it doesn't taste bland.
Notes
- This recipe makes quite a lot of pasta salad. If served with nothing else, this could serve 4 adults. You can easily get 6+ servings out of this. If you know you’re going to have leftovers, I suggest either leaving out the arugula or only tossing it with the portion of the salad you’ll be eating right away. Without arugula, this salad will last in the fridge for a few days no problem.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This was great! I used what I had on hand though. Instead of basil and Parmesan, I used dill and feta, making it more Greek-like. Will definitely try it with the original ingredients next time.
Thank you, Julie!
Love this salad! I’m vegan so I sub out the chicken for cannellini beans or cubed tofu and it works great!
Thrilled to hear it, Nancy!
This recipe was easy to make and was a super crowd pleaser! Loved it and will make again.
Thrilled you enjoyed it, Debra!! Thanks so much.
Very good!! Will be making for Mother’s Day this year! While I’m not a fan of arugula, it works! I divided my batch into two bowls – one with arugula (for today) and without (for tomorrow) – in order to see how the dish would hold up the next day. I also doubled up the dressing so that the next day I could add a few extra splashes when I added the arugula. I have to say – the flavors the next day had REALLY melded and that extra dressing gave it a punch. Did shaved parm on top. Really light and refreshing dish.
Thanks so much, Martin!! 😀
I made this just as posted (used grilled chicken, instead of rotisserie) and it was delicious. My husband who is more of “steak-and-potatoes guy” kept raving about how good it was.
That’s awesome!
I added more garlic, basil and a few red pepper flakes. I love lots of flavor so I always spice it up. The basic salad was great for a hot summer day dinner.
Thanks, Susan!
This is a delicious recipe for a summer luncheon. I count it among my favorites. Thank you! Natasha!
You’re very welcome, Katherine! 😀
Made this the other day for a luncheon…followed the recipe exactly. It didn’t go over very well, so, I changed it up a bit the next day. I added sliced Kalamata olives, threw in some feta cheese, and used Ken’s Greek vinaigrette. Added so much more flavor. Thanks for base recipe.
You’re welcome, Sharon!