Mediterranean Lemon Orzo Salad with Feta is a fresh, easy pasta salad made with orzo, crisp cucumber, chickpeas, olives, pepperoncini, and a bright lemon vinaigrette. It comes together in about 30 minutes and is perfect for Easter, spring gatherings, meal prep, or an easy weeknight side dish.
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Pasta salads scream warm weather to me. This salad is salty, lemony, and easy to throw together with minimal cooking. I love serving it for spring holidays, cookouts, or alongside grilled chicken breasts when I need something fresh that still feels satisfying.
This lemon orzo salad is packed with bold, fresh flavor from the briny olives, crisp cucumber, and bright lemon dressing that ties everything together. It is light and fresh, but the chickpeas make it hearty enough to serve as a simple lunch or vegetarian main. If you love fresh, flavor-packed side dishes like this one, my Moroccan couscous salad is loaded with veggies and warm spices and is a great option for warmer weather.
Key Ingredients
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Feel free to add more fresh veggies like grape tomatoes, bell peppers or grilled asparagus.
- A great milder substitute for feta is goat cheese, it's creamy and rich!
- I use fresh parsley since it complements the salty and savory ingredients, but fresh basil would also work.
- Omit the pepperoncini if you don't like the subtle heat, or if you'd like to add more, a sprinkle of crushed red pepper is perfect!
Instructions
Step 1: Cook the orzo to al dente in a large saucepan according to package instructions. Drain and rinse thoroughly in a strainer with cold water. Transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Add the remaining ingredients, aside from lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, to the bowl with the orzo. In a small jar, mix the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad. Toss to combine and serve.
Recipe FAQs
Make sure you cook the pasta just to al denté as it will absorb the lemon juice and olive oil the longer it sits. Rinse and drain the pasta with cold water after straining to keep it from cooking further.
Yes! If you're making this salad ahead of time, cook, drain and rinse the pasta and then add olive oil so it doesn't stick. Cut the vegetables and store them separately in the fridge. I find that storing them separately keeps the vegetables crisp. Once ready to serve, assemble as instructed.
Sarah's Top Tips for the Best Orzo Salad
- Cool the pasta. An important step when making pasta salad is to drain and rinse it with cold water. This stops the pasta from cooking and prevents sticking.
- Add more olive oil. If you plan to make this salad ahead of time, add an extra drizzle of olive oil and toss before serving.
- Salt your pasta water generously after it boils, and before adding the pasta. Always cook your pasta to al dente. Overcooking will lead to a mushy pasta salad.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Mediterranean Lemon Orzo salad for Easter or another Spring and Summer holiday. It's fresh, colorful, and easy to make ahead, which makes it ideal when you're feeding a group or bringing a dish to a party. For an easy meal, serve it with Greek turkey burgers or panko cod. Both pair well with the lemon dressing, crisp veggies, and salty feta.
Storage & Reheating
I recommend eating this pasta salad within 3 days; however, it can be consumed for up to 7 days. The ingredients will be less crisp but still good to eat.
If you're meal-prepping, keep the pasta, vegetables, herbs and cheese separate and mix before serving.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below-I'd love to hear how it turned out! THANK YOU!
Lemon Orzo Salad with Feta
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Ingredients
- 16 ounces uncooked orzo
- ½ cup English cucumber, diced
- ½ small red onion, diced
- ½ cup Kalamata olives, Castelvetrano green olives or a mix, sliced in half
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ cup sliced pepperoncini , from a jar
- 1 (15 ounce) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the orzo in a large saucepan, according to package instructions. Drain the orzo then rinse thoroughly in a strainer with cold water. Transfer pasta to a large mixing bowl.16 ounces uncooked orzo
- Add the remaining ingredients, aside from lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, to the bowl with the orzo.½ cup English cucumber, ½ small red onion, ½ cup Kalamata olives, Castelvetrano green olives or a mix, ½ cup crumbled feta cheese, ½ cup sliced pepperoncini, 1 (15 ounce) can of chickpeas, ¼ cup fresh parsley
- To a small jar or measuring cup, mix the lemon juice and olive oil and about 1 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss to combine and serve.1 lemon, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, salt and black pepper
Sarah's Tips
- Drain and rinse the orzo with cold water. This stops the pasta from cooking and prevents sticking.
- If you are planning on making this salad ahead of time, add an extra drizzle of olive oil and toss right before serving.
- If you're meal-prepping, keep the pasta, vegetables, herbs and cheese separate and mix before serving.
Tools I Use for This Recipe
- Large saucepan
Julie B Glassman says
Where is the nutrition info?
Sarah Hill says
Hi Julie, it's at the bottom of the recipe card under "Show nutrition info".
Nancy Holt says
Made this for a large group everybody loved it!
Marlene says
I really enjoyed this recipe. I would probably add more lemon next time and more feta, but that's a personal preference. Thank you for sharing!
Sarah Holt says
Hi Marlene, thanks for the great review, I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe! More lemon and more feta is a great idea!
Amy says
It's a good basic salad, but I doubled the feta. I can see variations working well too. overall I like it for something new
Sisley White - Sew White says
What an incredible salad. I would love to dive right in. Thank you for linking up to CookBlogShare
Sarah Holt says
Thank you Sisley!
Alisa Infanti says
This is such a great side dish for everything summer!
Sarah Holt says
so perfect and easy to bring to any event!
Beth says
This looks so yummy and flavorful! My hubby is going to love this for lunch today! Excited to make this!
Sarah Holt says
thank you Beth, I hope you guys enjoy it!
Kechi says
Am loving all the components of this salad; such much freshness and deliciousness!
Sarah Holt says
thank you Kechi!
Michelle says
This is such a fresh and delicious salad for summer! Orzo is the perfect choice of pasta!
Sarah Holt says
I love orzo, thanks Michelle
Beth Sachs says
A delicious side dish for a summer BBQ. Olives, feta and lemon pair so well together!
Sarah Holt says
Some of my favorite flavors, thanks Beth