Mediterranean Lemon Chicken Orzo Salad. A leftover rescue recipe! A fantastic combination of flavours in this delicious pasta salad that’s a meal in itself.
Mediterranean Lemon Chicken Orzo Salad
Originally published April 2013.
The snow has left us here in the Far North East and thoughts turn to Spring barbecues. Every barbecue needs some great side dishes and this one is a family favourite for cookouts or picnics on summer day trips.
This orzo pasta dish also makes a tasty lunch all on its own which the leftovers provided for a couple of days this week.
Balanced flavours.
With plenty of lemon zing, this salad has plenty of balanced flavours. They range from the fresh crunch of the cucumber to the slightly salty, pungent feta.
Mediterranean Lemon Chicken Orzo Salad
This simple salad recipe works well with or without the added diced chicken. It is a terrific way to use up leftover chicken the day after a roast chicken dinner, though.
One Hour Broiled Lemon Chicken
I‘ve linked to our succulent easy lemon chicken recipe here. That’s what we used in this instance but a rotisserie chicken would be excellent as well.
It’s a great side dish accompaniment to any grilled meat or even simple steamed fish. You will find many main dishes to pair this one with.
Mediterranean Lemon Chicken Orzo Salad
Need even more healthy recipes?
We’ve added a collection of 25 Best Heathy Eating Recipes here.
Best Healthy Eating Recipes. 25 delicious meals!
Like this Chicken Orzo Salad recipe?
Be sure to browse the photo index of delicious dishes in our Healthy Eating Category.
It’s easy to keep up with the latest home style cooking & baking ideas from Rock Recipes. Be sure to follow Rock Recipes Facebook Page and follow us on Instagram.
Plus you’ll see daily recipe suggestions from decadent desserts to quick delicious weekday meals too.
You can also sign up for our FREE newsletter to know immediately when we add new recipes. You’ll also get weekly suggestions for great family friendly meals and desserts too!
Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.
Mediterranean Lemon Chicken Orzo Salad
Mediterranean Lemon Chicken Orzo Salad - a fantastic combination of flavours in this delicious pasta salad that's a meal in itself.
Ingredients
- 1 cup orzo whole wheat if you can find it
- 6 inch piece cucumber seeded and diced
- 1/2 cup diced red pepper
- 1 small red onion diced small
- juice and finely minced zest of one lemon
- 1/2 cup chopped olives
- 1/2 cup diced feta
- 4 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or leave the leaves whole if you like
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups leftover diced chicken or diced grilled chicken breast
Instructions
- Cook the orzo in salted water until cooked but firm, usually under 1o minutes. Don't overcook and get mushy orzo; al dente pasta is a must in this recipe.
- When cooked, rinse the orzo with cold water in a colander and let drain completely for several minutes.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients and toss together until well combined.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. This salad is generally best when prepared an hour or two in advance.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 709Total Fat 31gSaturated Fat 9gUnsaturated Fat 22gCholesterol 128mgSodium 717mgCarbohydrates 72gFiber 17gSugar 10gProtein 46g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.