• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Vegetarian Recipes
    • Vegan Recipes
    • Sourdough
      • Gluten-Free Sourdough
      • Sourdough Discard
    • Seasonal Recipes
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
      • Winter
    • Main Dish Recipes
    • Lunch Recipes
    • Breakfast and Brunch
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Bread Recipes
      • Sweet Breads
      • Savory Breads
    • Condiment Recipes
    • Drink Recipes
      • Cocktails
      • Non Alcoholic
Vanilla And Bean

Vanilla And Bean

Sweet and Savory Vegetarian

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
  • About
    • Subscribe
    • A little bit about me…
    • Contact
    • Let’s Work Together
    • Blogs I’m Reading
    • Blogger Resources
You are here: Home / Recipes / Main Dish / Hearty Salads / Lemon Orzo Salad with Asparagus, Spinach and Feta

Lemon Orzo Salad with Asparagus, Spinach and Feta

By Traci · Jump to Recipe · Jump to Video
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my affiliate policy.

Loaded with veggies like asparagus, spinach, and olives and a sprinkling of toasted almonds and feta, Lemon Orzo Salad is easy to pull together! Like my Lemon Garlic Orzo with Roasted Vegetables, this recipe is also finished with a lemony dressing. Make it for lunch, a quick dinner, potlucks or picnics. This lemon orzo recipe is vegetarian and easily vegan.

Lemon orzo salad in a serving bowl.

Table of Contents

  • Lemon Orzo Salad for Lunch or Dinner
  • Why You’ll Love Lemon Orzo Salad
  • What is Orzo?
  • Quick Guide: How to Make Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad
  • Variations on Lemon Orzo Salad
  • A Few Recipe Tips
  • More Seasonal Salad Recipes to Love
  • Lemon Orzo Salad with Asparagus, Spinach and Feta Recipe
  • Video

Lemon Orzo Salad for Lunch or Dinner

Whipping up salads that can stand up to days in the fridge is my kind of meal prep. Spring and summer-time means lots of salads and I’m not talking just the lettuce type, but hearty salads, like in my 10 Summer Vegetarian Salad Recipes collection, that stand in for the main course! Pasta salad packed with veggies is that kind of salad. Hearty, and nourishing while still indulging in a bit of pasta.

Made with asparagus, spinach, crunchy toasted almonds, olives and sweet bell pepper, this lemon orzo salad recipe is make ahead easy and make weekday lunches and weeknight dinners an absolute snap.

Why You’ll Love Lemon Orzo Salad

  • Since this recipe is perfect for meal prep, lemon orzo salad can be portioned to individual lunch containers and stored in the refrigerator in lidded containers for up to four days.
  • Lemon Orzo Salad is super simple to pull together.
  • It’s packed with lemony flavor and crunchy veggies – so satisfying. 
  • It’s hearty, nourishing and filling.
1. Sliced asparagus on cutting board. 2. Toasting orzo in a pan. 3. Asparagus and orzo in a pan. 4. chopping spinach.

What is Orzo?

Orzo is a small cut pasta about the size of long grain rice. It’s delicious in soup, salads, and casseroles to name a few. There are several ways to prepare it depending on the application. It can be boiled like any pasta, cooked like risotto, similar to my Creamy Orzo with Mushrooms, or pilaf.

For this Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad Recipe, the orzo is toasted first, then vegetable broth finishes the orzo to al dente. Toasting the orzo brings out its nutty flavor and adds a beautiful golden hue to the pasta.

1. chopped yellow bell pepper on a cutting board. 2. zested lemon on a cutting board. 3. Lemon garlic dressing in a jar.

Quick Guide: How to Make Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad

This pasta with asparagus and lemon comes together quick once the veggies are chopped and the toasted orzo and asparagus have cooled. The orzo and asparagus are cooked in one pan for easy clean up! In summary, here’s how to make it (see recipe card for details):

  • First, to cook the orzo, toast it in a bit of olive oil until golden. Stir in vegetable broth and cook the orzo till al dente.
  • Second, toast the almonds and chop the asparagus, bell pepper, spinach, olives, and chives.
  • Third, just before the orzo is finished cooking, stir in the asparagus. It will gently steam while the orzo finishes cooking. Place in a large bowl and refrigerate.
  • Fourth, make the dressing.
  • Last, to the chilled orzo and asparagus, add the chopped bell peppers, chives, spinach, olives, feta cheese and toasted almonds. Pour the lemon garlic dressing over the ingredients and toss.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. This lemon orzo salad recipe stores in the fridge for at least four days!

1. Asparagus and orzo in a mixing bowl. 2. Spinach, bell pepper, asparagus and orzo in a mixing bowl. 3. Ingredients for lemon orzo salad in a mixing bowl. 4. Ingredients for lemon orzo salad recipe in a mixing bowl.

Variations on Lemon Orzo Salad

This lemony orzo recipe is versatile enough to use what’s in the larder. Take a tour of what you have on hand, and perhaps you’ll find something new to toss in. Here are some variations I’ve tried with this recipe:

  • Spinach is fabulous, but arugula offers a spicy contrast to this salad. A mix of the two is quite nice. 
  • I find Kalamata olives impart snappy, briny interest in this lemony salad. I’ve subbed sun dried tomatoes for Kalamata and love the results.
  • Once my chives are spent in the herb patch, I go for green onions.
  • This recipe calls for blanched almonds, but whole chopped almonds will work beautifully too.
  • I love loads fresh parsley in this orzo salad recipe. Use more or less to your taste and, when in season, add a handful of fresh chopped basil.
  • Shredded parmesan would make a nice stand in for the feta.
  • For a heartier salad, add 1 1/2 C of cook chickpeas when tossing in all the other ingredients. It may need a splash or two more of lemon juice.

Related: Love orzo? Give my Lemon-Garlic Orzo with Roasted Vegetables recipe a go! With over 500k social shares, you know its gotta be good!

Spinach orzo salad in a serving bowl.

A Few Recipe Tips

  • When cooling the pasta in the refrigerator, give it a stir a few times. This helps separate the pasta grains, and allows the pasta to cool more quickly.
  • This orzo salad stores beautifully in the fridge for up to four days and is perfect for meal prep! Portion into individual containers for quick grab and go lunches.
  • Freezer friendly? I’m afraid not. The fresh veggies would turn to mush and lose their crunch.
  • Make it Dairy Free (vegan)! Simply leave the feta out to make this Lemon Orzo Salad vegan or sub with dairy free feta crumbles.
  • To make this salad stretch even further, add 1 1/2 C of cooked chickpeas when mixing in the spinach.
  • Chive flowers make a lovely addition to this salad. They are edible!

More Seasonal Salad Recipes to Love

  • Garbanzo Summer Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing
  • Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad with Chickpeas 
  • Lemon-Dijon Asparagus and Pea Macaroni Salad
  • Spinach Pecan Brown Rice Salad
Closeup of Lemon Orzo Salad with Asparagus, Spinach and Feta in a large serving bowl ready to be shared
Print Recipe

Lemon Orzo Salad with Asparagus, Spinach and Feta Recipe

Total Time:30 minutes
Servings:6 – 7 Servings
Calories:384kcal
Author:Traci York | Vanilla And Bean
Filled with veggies like asparagus, spinach, and olives and a sprinkling of toasted almonds and feta, Lemon Orzo Salad is easy to pull together! Finished with a lemony dressing, make it for lunch, an easy dinner, potlucks or picnics. This recipe is vegetarian and easily vegan.

Ingredients

For the Salad:

  • 1 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 C (185g) Orzo Pasta
  • 1 3/4 C (410g) Vegetable Broth
  • 1 lb (430g) Asparagus ends snapped, cut into bit size pieces
  • 1/2 C (70g) Almonds blanched or whole
  • 1 1/2 C (215g) Yellow Bell Pepper medium dice
  • 3 C (105g) Spinach packed, then chopped
  • 3/4 C (110g) Kalamata Olives quartered
  • 1/2 C (85g) Feta crumbled, I like sheep's milk feta
  • 1/3 C (12g) Chives chopped fine, or use 3 green onions, chopped
  • Fist-Full of Fresh Herbs such as Parsley and/or Basil curly or flat leaf, chopped fine
  • 1/4 tsp Fine Sea Salt more to taste
  • Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

For the Dressing:

  • 3 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 4 Tbs Fresh Lemon Juice from about 2 lemons (add up to another teaspoon for even more lemony goodness!)
  • 1 tsp Lemon Zest about one lemon
  • 2 tsp Fresh Garlic microplained or finely chopped, from about 2 medium cloves

Instructions

For the Salad:

  • Cook the Orzo and Asparagus: In a large saute pan, heat the Olive Oil on medium heat until shimmering. Add the orzo and stir, coating the orzo thoroughly. Stir occasionally on medium low heat for about 3 minutes or until the orzo is toasty and golden. Add the vegetable broth. Be careful here because the broth will spit and sputter.
    Bring to a simmer, turn down the heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes, then stir in the asparagus. Relid and cook on low for another 4 or 5 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and the asparagus is tender crisp. Stir. Remove from heat, and transfer to a large bowl. Place in the refrigerator to cool.
  • Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and toast the almonds for about 8-9 minutes or until golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool. If using whole almonds, give em' a good rough chop.
    *Note: I use my toaster oven for this rather than heating up my big oven. The almonds can also be toasted on the stove top in a dry pan on medium heat. Toast for 2-4 minutes, depending on which variety of almond you use, and stir/toss frequently so that they toast evenly. Remove from heat and pan when fragrant and golden.

Make the Dressing:

  • In a lidded jar, add the olive oil, lemon juice and zest and garlic. Shake until the ingredients are emulsified. Set aside.

To Assemble the Salad:

  • To the chilled orzo and asparagus add the bell pepper, spinach, olives, chives (or green onions), almonds, herbs, salt and fresh ground pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. Taste for seasoning adjustment.
  • Store in the refrigerator until ready to share, or in individual meal prep containers for up to four days.

Video

Notes

Recipe inspired by PCC’s Asparagus and Orzo Salad.
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 1285mg | Potassium: 500mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2540IU | Vitamin C: 82.7mg | Calcium: 165mg | Iron: 3.4mg
Made It? Leave a comment below! The most helpful comment may include recipe rating, feedback, any modifications and/or helping other commenters. On Instagram? Take a snap of your make and share, tagging @VanillaAndBean #VanillaAndBean!
 

You might also like:

Dijon Asparagus and Pea Macaroni Salad in a bowl ready for serving.

Lemon-Dijon Asparagus and Pea Macaroni Salad

Quinoa Mango Salad in a serving bowl ready for sharing

Quinoa Mango Black Bean Salad with Chipotle Lime Vinaigrette

Thai Lettuce Wraps served on a rectangular plate.

Vegetarian Thai Lentil Lettuce Wraps

Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad with Chickpeas in a big bowl ready to be shared.

Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad with Chickpeas

Shares6.5kPinShareYummly

Join the Vanilla And Bean community to receive free sweet and savory vegetarian recipes, and get my Five Secrets to Vegetarian Cooking email series delivered to your inbox!

You will receive recipes and kitchen tips, along with information about our partners and offerings. For more details, review the Vanilla And Bean privacy policy.
Previous Post: « Tacos Rancheros
Next Post: Spinach and Feta Triangles »

Primary Sidebar

well hello!

I’m Traci and this is my blog. So Glad You Stopped By!

Here you’ll find full of flavor vegetarian comfort food with vegan and gluten free recipes too. I also share sourdough, sweets and naturally sweetened baked goods and desserts recipes because we all gotta have a little balance!

Learn More About Traci  or  The Blog.

Get on the List!

Join the Vanilla And Bean community to receive Sweet and Savory Vegetarian Recipes, and get my Five Secrets to Vegetarian Cooking email series delivered to your inbox!

Right this Way to Subscribe

Start Here!

Why vegetarian, what you’ll find on Vanilla And Bean and fan favorites all right here!

Right this Way to Start

Footer

Affiliate Info

Vanilla And Bean is monetized in part through the use of affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you click on a link and/or purchase an item after clicking on a link, Vanilla And Bean may receive a percentage of the sales price. I only recommend products that I love and use through my affiliate links. To learn more please see my Affiliate Policy. Thank you for your support!

© Vanilla And Bean, LLC  – 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any content or images without express and written permission from this blog’s owner is prohibited. Licensing inquiries for publication, general distribution, and/or commercial use, please contact me on my contact page.

Copyright © 2023 · Vanilla and Bean · Website by Meyne

Menu

Home · Recipes · Contact · Privacy Policy
Terms of Use · Accessibility · California Privacy Notice

Copyright © 2023 · Vanilla and Bean On Genesis Framework · Log in

Get On The List!
Get On The List!
_____________________

Join the Vanilla And Bean community to receive sweet and savory vegetarian recipes, as well as my Five Secrets to Vegetarian Cooking email series delivered to your inbox.

You will receive recipes and kitchen tips, along with information about our partners and offerings. For more details, review our Privacy Policy.
  • Recipes
    ▼
    • Recipe Index
    • Breakfast and Brunch
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Lunch Recipes
    • Main Dish Recipes
    • Bread Recipes
      ▼
      • Sweet Breads
      • Savory Breads
    • Seasonal Recipes
      ▼
      • Fall
      • Winter
      • Spring
      • Summer
    • Sourdough
      ▼
      • Sourdough Discard Recipes
      • Gluten Free Sourdough
    • Vegan Recipes
    • Vegetarian
    • Condiment Recipes
    • Drink Recipes
      ▼
      • Cocktails
      • Non Alcoholic
    • Dessert Recipes
  • Sign Up For Weekly Newsletter!
  • Start Here
  • Home
  • Shop
  • About
    ▼
    • Contact
    • A little bit about me…
    • Let’s Work Together
    • Blogs I’m Reading
    • Blogger Resources
Vanilla And Bean and our partners use cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. By using the Site, you consent to the use of cookies. Learn More

COOKIE SETTINGS   ACCEPT
Cookie Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

CookieTypeDurationDescription
__cfduid14 weeksThe cookie is set by CloudFare. The cookie is used to identify individual clients behind a shared IP address d apply security settings on a per-client basis. It doesnot correspond to any user ID in the web application and does not store any personally identifiable information.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary011 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-non-necessary011 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Non Necessary".
OptanonConsent01 yearTracks users cookie consent preferences
viewed_cookie_policy011 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Advertisement
CookieTypeDurationDescription
IDE12 yearsUsed by Google DoubleClick and stores information about how the user uses the website and any other advertisement before visiting the website. This is used to present users with ads that are relevant to them according to the user profile.
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE15 monthsThis cookie is set by Youtube. Used to track the information of the embedded YouTube videos on a website.
Analytics

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

CookieTypeDurationDescription
_ga02 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, camapign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assigns a randoly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gid01 dayThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the wbsite is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages viisted in an anonymous form.
ad-id16 monthsProvided by amazon-adsystem.com for tracking user actions on other websites to provide targeted content
GPS030 minutesThis cookie is set by Youtube and registers a unique ID for tracking users based on their geographical location
Performance

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

CookieTypeDurationDescription
_gat01 minuteThis cookies is installed by Google Universal Analytics to throttle the request rate to limit the colllection of data on high traffic sites.
YSC1This cookies is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos.
YTCpersistent10 minutesThis cookie is set by Youtube to manage the embed and viewing of videos