Summer is the time for BBQ and salads. When the sun is shining outside and the temperatures are not dropping below 30\u00b0C, a light salad is pretty much the only option. Salad is perfect on a hot day. This delicious Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad may not be the \u00bblightest\u00ab candidate in the world of salads, but we haven\u2019t reached 30\u00b0C in our apartment under the roof yet\u2026 we can still manage a few carbs I guess ;PMediterraner Orzo Pasta Salat | Bake to the rootsAdmittedly, pasta salads are not the best choice if you want to eat a super light, low-carb meal. But they\u2019re still delicious! Super tasty, to be honest. My grandma\u2019s pasta salad is part of every BBQ here at home \u2013 whether it\u2019s raining, snowing, or when there are\u00a0temperatures that can melt your face ;P Compared to my grandma\u2019s pasta salad, this one here is light, healthy, and absolutely suitable for summer ;PThe name gives it already away \u2013 this salad here is a \u00bbMediterranean\u00ab version of a pasta salad. In addition to the pasta, it also contains a good amount of fresh veggies\u2026 and other, more or less, healthy ingredients. Unlike grandma\u2019s pasta salad. Good oil, olives, feta \u2013 everything you know from Mediterranean cuisine ;)Mediterraner Orzo Pasta Salat | Bake to the rootsAnyway. The salad is the perfect salad for a BQQ, for lunch in the office, or for having a good time in the park with a picnic. Once you prepare the salad, it will be good to eat for quite a while. To be honest, the salad tastes even better when all the ingredients had some time to get to know each other. That\u2019s usually the case with pasta salads \u2013 they only taste really good after a few hours of resting (or even the next day). You have to be a bit careful with spinach though \u2013 that might not look quite as fresh the next day ;)Orzo, also known as Kritharaki or Risoni is a type of pasta that looks like grains of rice. You can recognize that immediately from the pictures, I suppose ;P I like to use this type of pasta in many of my recipes \u2013 not just for salads. No matter where you add those small noodles, they will soak up every sauce or dressing wonderfully. In addition to salads, the rice-grain-sized noodles are great for casseroles and other one-pot dishes. Stuff like Creamy Risoni with Mushrooms \u2013 a dish that is very similar to risotto, but made with pasta instead of rice ;)Mediterraner Orzo Pasta Salat | Bake to the rootsIf you want to use the salad for meal prep, you can prepare the salad as described (see note with the spinach). If the salad is going to be eaten the next day \u2013 all good. If you want the salad to stay fresh a bit longer, I recommend adding the dressing later, shortly before serving the salad. Even though tomatoes and cucumbers can handle vinegar and oil well for some time \u2013 they should not \u00bbmarinate\u00ab in the dressing for an unnecessarily long time ;PClick on the picture to get to the recipe \u2013Click on the picture to get to the recipe \u2013As already mentioned, I really like to use Orzo, Kritharaki, and Risoni for my recipes. Maybe you also want to try one of these here: my delicious Orzo Chickpea Summer Salad or my Creamy One-Pot Orzo with Leftover Chicken. Both dishes are really delish(ious)! ;)INGREDIENTS \/ ZUTATEN(4-5 servings)For the salad:7 oz. (200g) orzo pasta* (uncooked)7 oz. (200g) pinto beans (or white beans), cooked5.3 oz. (150g) cherry tomatoes, halved1\/2 cucumber, diced5-6 sun-dried tomatoes (in oil), chopped10-12 Kalamata olives, pitted & sliced2.8 oz. (80g) baby spinach leaves, choppedsome feta cheese, crumbledsome pickled peppers* (mild)For the dressing:1\/4 cup (60ml) white balsamic vinegar3 tbsp. olive oil (extra vergine)2 tsp. maple syrup1 tsp. Dijon mustard1 garlic clove, minced1 tsp. dried oreganosalt, pepper(4-5 Portionen)F\u00fcr den Salat:200g Orzo Pasta* (ungekocht)200g Pinto Bohnen (oder wei\u00dfe Bohnen), abgetropft150g Kirschtomaten, halbiert1\/2 Salatgurke, gew\u00fcrfelt5-6 getrocknete Tomaten (in \u00d6l), grob gehackt10-12 Kalamata Oliven, in Scheiben80g Baby Spinat, grob gehacktetwas Feta, zerbr\u00f6ckelteinige eingelegte Pfefferonen* (mild)F\u00fcr das Dressing:60ml wei\u00dfer Balsamico Essig3 EL Oliven\u00f6l (Extra Vergine)2 TL Ahornsirup1 TL Dijon Senf1 Knoblauchzehe, sehr fein gehackt1 TL getrockneter OreganoSalz, PfefferMediterraner Orzo Pasta Salat | Bake to the rootsMediterraner Orzo Pasta Salat | Bake to the rootsDIRECTIONS \/ ZUBEREITUNG1. Start with the orzo pasta. Cook the orzo as instructed on the package \u2013 mine needed to cook for 10 minutes to be \u00bbal dente\u00ab. Drain and let cool down.2. Prepare the veggies \u2013 drain the beans. Wash the tomatoes, dry them, and cut them in half. Cut the cucumber into (not too small) pieces. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes coarsely. Cut the olives into rings. Wash and dry the baby spinach, then chop very coarsely. Crumble the feta. Add everything (except for the feta) to a large bowl.3. For the dressing mix the vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, mustard, minced garlic, and dried oregano in a small bowl. Season well with salt and pepper.4. When the orzo has cooled down completely, add it to the bowl with the veggies along with the dressing and mix until well combined. Season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Finally, add the crumbled feta and some pickled peppers on top and serve along with some bread.Tip: You can prepare the salad some time in advance. If you do so, hold back the spinach and add that right before serving.1. Als Erstes die Nudeln nach Packungsanleitung zubereiten \u2013 meine Orzo Nudeln mussten 10 Minuten gekocht werden, um \u00bbal dente\u00ab zu sein. Abgie\u00dfen, abtropfen und abk\u00fchlen lassen.2. Als N\u00e4chstes die restlichen Zutaten vorbereiten. Die Bohnen abtropfen lassen. Tomaten waschen, abtrocknen und jeweils halbieren. Die Gurke in nicht zu kleine St\u00fccke schneiden. Die getrockneten Tomaten grob hacken, die Oliven in Ringe schneiden, den Babyspinat waschen, trocknen und dann sehr grob hacken. Den Feta zerkr\u00fcmeln. Alles (au\u00dfer dem Feta) in eine gro\u00dfe Sch\u00fcssel geben.3. F\u00fcr das Dressing den Essig mit Oliven\u00f6l, Ahornsirup, Senf, Knoblauch und Oregano in einer kleinen Sch\u00fcssel vermischen, mit Salz und Pfeffer w\u00fcrzen.4. Sobald die Nudeln vollst\u00e4ndig abgek\u00fchlt sind, zusammen mit dem Dressing in die Sch\u00fcssel mit dem Gem\u00fcse geben und alles gut vermengen. Bei Bedarf mit mehr Salz und Pfeffer abschmecken. Vor dem Servieren den Feta und einige eingelegte Paprikaschoten auf dem Salat verteilen und dann zusammen mit etwas Brot servieren.Tipp: Man kann den Salat einige Zeit im Voraus zubereiten. In diesem Fall sollte man den Spinat allerdings erst kurz vor dem Servieren dazugeben.Mediterraner Orzo Pasta Salat | Bake to the rootsMediterraner Orzo Pasta Salat | Bake to the rootsCraving more? Keep in touch on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for new post updates and more. You can also contact me with any questions or inquiries!Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily. Printclock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid iconDescriptionSimple, easy, and delicious \u2013 this Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad is the perfect summer salad. Lunch, dinner, or as a side for your next BBQ.For the salad:7 oz. (200g) orzo pasta* (uncooked)7 oz. (200g) pinto beans (or white beans), cooked5.3 oz. (150g) cherry tomatoes, halved1\/2 cucumber, diced5\u20136 sun-dried tomatoes (in oil), chopped10\u201312 Kalamata olives, pitted & sliced2.8 oz. (80g) baby spinach leaves, choppedsome feta cheese, crumbledsome pickled peppers* (mild)For the dressing:1\/4 cup (60ml) white balsamic vinegar3 tbsp. olive oil (extra vergine)2 tsp. maple syrup1 tsp. Dijon mustard1 garlic clove, minced1 tsp. dried oreganosalt, pepper1. Start with the orzo pasta. Cook the orzo as instructed on the package \u2013 mine needed to cook for 10 minutes to be \u00bbal dente\u00ab. Drain and let cool down.2. Prepare the veggies \u2013 drain the beans. Wash the tomatoes, dry them, and cut them in half. Cut the cucumber into (not too small) pieces. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes coarsely. Cut the olives into rings. Wash and dry the baby spinach, then chop very coarsely. Crumble the feta. Add everything (except for the feta) to a large bowl.3. For the dressing mix the vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, mustard, minced garlic, and dried oregano in a small bowl. Season well with salt and pepper.4. When the orzo has cooled down completely, add it to the bowl with the veggies along with the dressing and mix until well combined. Season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Finally, add the crumbled feta and some pickled peppers on top and serve along with some bread.NotesYou can prepare the salad some time in advance. If you do so, hold back the spinach and add that right before serving. Links marked with an asterisk (*) are affiliate links (advertising\/Werbung) to Amazon Germany. If you click on one of those links and buy something via this link, I will get a commission for that sale. The price of whatever you buy is not affected in any way by this.Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad | Bake to the rootsMediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad | Bake to the roots<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Summer is the time for BBQ and salads. When the sun is shining outside and the temperatures are not dropping below 30\u00b0C, a light salad is pretty much the only option. Salad is perfect on a hot day. This delicious Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad may not be the \u00bblightest\u00ab candidate in the world of salads, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":459,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-458","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cakes"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/458","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=458"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/458\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=458"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=458"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=458"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}