Mediterranean Orzo Salad

This orzo salad can be served warm or cold. It’s great to make for dinner and serve it fresh and warm and then have the leftovers cold for lunch the next day. I personally love it cold. Orzo is tossed with red onions, sliced lemon, garlic, fennel and garbanzo beans that are roasted with a sweet and tart balsamic dressing, then topped with sun-dried tomatoes, feta and raisins. So much flavor!

Mediterranean Orzo Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 (16oz) bag of orzo 

• 1 lemon, sliced and seeds removed

• 1 cup olive medley, pitted (Kalamata and green olives used here)

• 1 (15oz) can garbanzo beans, drained

• 4 cloves garlic, sliced

• 1 red onion, roughly chopped into big pieces 

• 1/2 cup sliced fennel

• 1 cup cubed feta in oil (I love the Apetina brand)

• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, sliced 

• 1/3 cup raisins

For the dressing:

• 1 tbsp of the sun-dried tomato oil 

• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 

• 2 tbsp olive oil 

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp pepper

• 1/2  tsp fennel seeds

• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 

• 1 tsp maple syrup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375º F. 

2. On a large baking sheet, add the sliced lemon, olives (feel free to chop or leave whole), garbanzo beans, garlic, red onion and fennel. 

3. In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the dressing.  Pour the dressing over the veggies on the baking sheet. Using your hands, toss to coat then spread everything out into a somewhat even layer. 

4. Roast for 35-40 minutes, mixing about halfway though. 

5. Meanwhile, for the orzo, fill a large pot with water, season with salt, and place over high heat. Once boiling, add the orzo and cook according to package instructions. Drain and return orzo back to the pot. Once the roasted veggies are done, add them to the pot with the orzo, along with the feta, sun-dried tomatoes and raisins, and mix to combine.

6. Serve warm or cold!