Whole Grain Asparagus Orzo Salad Recipe

Asparagus Orzo Salad is an easy and delicious salad that is made with whole grain orzo, fresh lemon, crisp asparagus, and feta. It makes the perfect summer dish!

Growing up, my dad owned the town tavern. He was gone most of my day and only had Sunday’s off. On Sundays, we often went fishing in nearby ponds.

My mother always prepared a picnic lunch. She often made fried chicken and potato salad. I get hungry for it could just thinking of it. I think about those dirty little hands handling worms and who knows what, and I cringe. Oh well, none of us ever got sick.

I still love potato salad, but John isn’t crazy about it (maybe he’s just crazy?) I also limit myself to salads that contain mayonnaise because of the fat. There are a lot of delicious salads that we do like, such as this Asparagus Orzo Salad, that is a bit better for us.

This Asparagus Orzo Salad is chock full of great healthy ingredients. I used whole grain wheat orzo, fresh lemon, crisp asparagus and crumbled feta. This salad is cool, fresh and delicious. It is perfect as a side at dinner or a picnic lunch, and it makes a huge bowl so make sure you have plenty of hungry people to feed. It also lasted for an entire week, and I never tired of it.

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Asparagus Orzo Salad

Asparagus Orzo Salad is an easy and delicious salad that is made with whole grain orzo, fresh lemon, crisp asparagus, and feta. It makes the perfect summer dish! 

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 11 mins

Total Time 26 mins

Servings 14

Author Hostess At Heart

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Ingredients

• 1 bunch of asparagus cut into one-inch pieces
• 16 ounces cooked whole wheat orzo cooked
• 1 cup crumbled feta
• 2/3 cup flat Italian parsley chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon about 1 tablespoon
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon plain yogurt
• 11/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add asparagus and blanch for two minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a sieve or colander and run under cold water to stop cooking. Return the water to a boil, salt the water and add orzo. Cook for suggested time, approximately 9 minutes. Drain and run under cool water.
• In a large serving bowl. add orzo, asparagus, feta, parsley and lemon zest.
• In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and yogurt. Whisk to combine and add to orzo combination.
• Refrigerate or serve immediately.

Notes

Adapted from Family Circle May 2015

Nutrition

Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 240mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 315IU | Vitamin C: 6.1mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 0.7mg

This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.

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Are you still looking for a couple other amazing salad ideas? Here are a few of our favorites!

Tabouli Salad

Asian Cabbage Salad

Cherry Chipotle Salad

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