With all the good weather we’re having in the UK the only thing we want to do is go to the beach, make BBQs and have picnics. So all this month I’ve been making lots of finger and picnic foods to take out and about.
And although pasta salad doesn’t sound that exciting I truly believe it can me a delicious meal that’s super easy to make, exciting, vibrant, super healthy and made in the shortest of time, this is where my Orzo Pasta Salad for Summer comes.
Yes it has vegetables and pasta but I like to pimp it with lots of herbs, lemon and zesty ingredients, because who likes a bland pasta salad? Not me!!
This salads lasts easily a week in the fridge, is completely vegan and by swapping the pasta you make it gluten free too. The main ingredient is Orzo pasta but if you can’t find it or prefer to use another shape you can swap it, but, try to use a small shape.
ORZO PASTA SALAD FOR SUMMER – RECIPE

A fresh, light and super delicious summer salad that ticks all the boxes! Ready in less than 30 minutes with minimal cooking required.
- 1 Kg Orzo pasta
- 2 Vine tomatoes
- 1 cup Cherry tomatoes
- 1 Red pepper
- 1 cup Green olives
- 1 cup Green peas
- 2 cups Sweetcorn
- 1 cup each Basil, chives, dill, parsley, coriander (4 cups in total)
- 1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt & black pepper to taste
- 1.5 Lemons (juice only)
- 1 Cucumber
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So first thing is to cook the orzo pasta in boiling water with salt and I like to cook my pasta 1 minutes les that what’s indicated in the package so it’s aldente.
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Once the pasta is done we drain it and one important step when cooking pasta for salads is to always wash it in running cold water to stop the cooking and to avoid becoming mushy and sticky.
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We put the pasta on a big bowl so we can mix it well
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This salad is packed of veggies so I’m starting by chopping a couple of tomatoes which I’m removing the seeds to avoid the salad becoming watery and dicing in small pieces. And this is how I’m going to chop all the ingredients because I want everything to be the same size.
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As well as with the tomatoes I’m removing the cucumber seeds where it contains its water and dicing in small pieces.
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As you know by now I love herbs and this salad comes with a tone of it to give it a super fresh and delicious flavour. So we have basil, chives, dill, parsley and coriander, all chopped finely so every mouthful comes with all the herbs.
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For a bit of tang I’m using green olives cut in half. You can use any green olive or if you prefer a less tangy salad go for black olives.
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And if all the veggies we added wasn’t enough I’m adding green peas and sweet corn for a truly summer and fresh flavour. Once all the veggies are in let’s season with extra virgin olive oil, salt and black pepper to taste.
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To bring all the flavours to life I’m adding the juice of one and half lemons. Mix well and taste to check the season is spot on to your taste. Salad done! Cover and leave in the fridge for an hour before serving to let all the flavours mingle.
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Serve it in dark bowls to show of the colourful ingredients and add a little parsley leaf for decoration and a lemon wedge.
Recipe Video
If you have any questions about the recipe leave your comments below and rate!
See you next week with another easy and delicious recipe
HAPPY COOKING!! 🙂