Summertime isn’t complete without an easy to make, fresh and delicious salad. This is your new go to healthy picnic staple!
So you know that “Oh crap” feeling you get when you realize that you’re going to a group potluck in a few hours and you haven’t planned on what to bring? Well, that feeling is ten times worse when you have three kids, including a new baby.
The thought of packing them all up and taking them to a grocery store is one step below gouging your eyes out with toothpicks…it’s a good thing I excel at making something out of nothing!
So off to my pantry I went, gathering ingredients and praying I could make something good. Well, not only did I make something good, I hit a homer!
This recipe was inspired by a friend of mine who brought over this amazing orzo salad when I had just had my newest little guy (and she claims to hate cooking).
Ever since then, I have been craving orzo again. I just happened to have some of the delicious ingredients she included, yay! I also threw in a few others and BAM, orzo salad for all!
I kept this salad oil free and used a little veggie broth to add some moisture. It works great and cuts out unneeded fat. You can enjoy this warm or cold, we liked it both ways! Plus, it’s REALLY easy to make and a perfect thing to bring to your summer picnics!
So when you make this for your next gathering and everyone begs for the recipe, make sure to let me know! I love hearing your comments on all my recipes, and especially love seeing your pictures.
Summertime isn't complete without an easy to make, fresh and delicious salad. This is your new go to healthy picnic staple!
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms , about 12-13 mushrooms
- 3 ounces sun dried tomatoes , I use the dried ones in a bag
- 16 oz package orzo , I use whole wheat but gluten free is also available
- 1 1/2 cups chickpeas , about one 15 ounce can
- 1/4 cup veggie broth , low sodium if needed, can also use a drizzle of oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- sea salt , to taste if needed (see note)
- Wash and slice the spinach, basil, and mushrooms and chop sun dried tomatoes. Place in the bottom of a pasta strainer.
Cook the orzo according to package directions.
When ready to drain, pour the whole pot, orzo with water, over the veggies in the bottom of the pasta strainer. This will slightly cook them.
Rinse with hot water to remove starchiness from the pasta. Place everything in a big bowl once drained.
- Add the rest of the ingredients into the bowl and mix until well combined. Enjoy!
- I measure the spinach and basil packed in.
- You can use sundried tomatoes in a jar just make sure they are packed in water if you want to keep this oil free. Also, if you want soft sundried tomatoes, you can soften them by soaking them in hot water for about 5 or so minutes.
- You don’t need much, if any, salt because the sun dried tomatoes have plenty but adjust to your preference.
Tips to prep ahead:
- Wash and slice all veggies and basil. Cook the orzo.
Baby/toddler food idea:
- Soak sundried tomatoes in hot water for 5-10 minutes to soften. Place them along with veggies, basil, and chickpeas in a food processor and chop into small pieces. Put the mixture into a bowl and then pour in hot cooked and drained orzo, mix well and cover with a pot top to allow the hot steam to “cook” the veggies. You could also follow the directions but use a fine mesh strainer so that the small veggie pieces don’t fall through.
Kim says
This looks so good, but unfortunately I don’t like chickpeas or any kind of beans. Do you have a suggestion for what might be a good substitute for them in this particular recipe? Thanks. I’d really love to try this and not lose out on any of the “bulk” by omitting an important ingredient if you could think of another. (You are the veggie expert, I am definitely not! Haha)
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Kim! Oh man, no beans huh? Well you won’t really get the same flavor profile if you don’t have any beans but if you want some filling, I’d say maybe go for some pine nuts or slivered almonds? If you want more veggies you could do portobello mushrooms along with the crimini but I’d suggest you grill the portobello or bake/roast it.
Kim says
Thanks so much! My husband loves both pine nuts and almonds – I think both suggestions will be a hit. I think maybe I’ll try almonds, but I’m not sure yet! 🙂
veggiesdontbite says
Awesome! Let me know how it works!
carmen says
OMG!! my favorite flavors together,
I wanna try it immediately
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks so much Carmen! It’s really easy to make too. Let me know how you like it!
Hattie says
This looks delicious! A great meat-free meal – and in the jar looks like it would make a great dish in a posh picnic
veggiesdontbite says
Haha! Yes, it does look quite posh doesn’t it! Thanks so much Hattie! It’s such an easy meal to make too and perfect for a party. Thanks for being here!
Val @ Life of a Vegaholic says
I totally agree! Summer isn’t summer without summer salads that’s for sure. Haha! This salad looks super yum Sophia! I love the splashes of color in there.
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks so much Val! It’s so super easy to make and perfect for a quick get together with friends. I’ve had vegans and non vegans love it too!
Kat | curlsnchard.com says
I totally agree with Natalie – letting your veggies “cook” slightly by pouring the pasta water over them is genius! This sounds like the perfect summer salad 🙂
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks so much Kat! I really like al dente veggies so I started doing this years ago. When I make my zoodles, I do the same just to get them slightly soft but still crunchy. I love it!
The Vegan 8 says
I LOVE pasta and orzo is right there at the top of my list!! This looks so good! I had no idea they made gluten-free orzo…have you actually tried any before? I’m curious how it compares. Orzo is so darn delicious, I wouldn’t want a crappy substitute, lol! I’ll need to look into it. Love the simplicity of this recipe…awesome that your friend inspired you to make it! Love all the added fresh basil too…I’m obsessed with basil….yum!
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you Brandi! I have tried one gluten free orzo and it wasn’t too bad. That being said, I don’t have it all that often so I usually get the whole wheat one because we can handle it from time to time and it’s so good. But the gluten free one I tried is great if you definitely need gluten free! I hadn’t had orzo in a while so when my friend brought it over it reminded me how much I love it! I also love my veggies al dente so I have been doing the method of “cooking” them slightly with the pasta water for ever and I love that she did it this way too. It gives them an ever so slight cooked texture plus makes the dish so darn easy to make!!
Natalie @ Feasting on Fruit says
Whoa the pasta water “cooking” of the veggies is genius!!! You are right, I think this is about the easiest, quickest meal or party dish there is!
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks so much Natalie! Yes, it cooks them perfectly, not to overdone. This is how I “cook” my zucchini noodles when I make them to mix in with pasta. Just pour the pasta water over the zoodles in the same way and mix all together. You get both in one pot. It’s awesome and gives extra veggies for the kids!
Lucie says
Yipee, here comes the recipe I was drooling over on Facebook 🙂 Delish as expected, love it Sophia!
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you so much Lucie!!! It’s so easy and good!!