A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. ~Tenneva Jordan
This quote is so true. All of the women in my life who are mothers are self-less, wonderful individuals that strive to make sure their loved ones are happy. They deserve love, hugs and an endless amount of appreciation each and every day… especially on Mother’s Day!
Isaac and I are lucky ducks and have our families nearby so we were able to spend some quality time with both of our moms! We went to my sister’s house for a cookout earlier in the day and then came back to Richmond to hang out with Isaac’s mom and dad for the evening. It was a busy but fun-filled day!
I whipped up a new recipe for the cookout- a hearty, healthy mediterranean salad that appeals to almost everyone.
Despite my love for trying new recipes, it’s always nice to have a go-to potluck recipe. I have a feeling this salad is going to become my go-to. The reasons:
- Orzo is a quick cooking pasta so this dish comes together in a flash.
- You can prep the salad ahead of time.
- It can (and should) be served at room temperature.
- I LOVE sun-dried tomatoes.
- It’s healthy and tastes delicious.
Easy Mediterranean Orzo Salad
Lightly adapted from a recipe in The Earthbound Cook / Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat orzo pasta
- 4 oz. fresh baby spinach
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- 9-10 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
- 1/2 cup cannellini beans or other white bean
- 3/4 t dried oregano
- balsamic dressing (recipe below)
- sea salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Preparation
- Bring a saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add orzo and cook according to the package directions until just tender, about 8-10 minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold water until the pasta cools to room temp. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.
- Add the spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, beans and oregano to the orzo and toss to combine.
- Add half of the balsamic dressing and toss again. Taste it and add more dressing if needed.
- Season with sea salt and black pepper.
- Serve at room temperature, sprinkled with feta.
**You can prep this salad the day before and keep it chilled, covered in the refrigerator. For the best flavor, let the chilled salad come to room temperature before serving.
Balsamic Dressing
Adapted from ED&BV Back to Basics Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 T maple syrup
- 1 t dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 t sea salt
- 3 T olive oil
Preparation
- Use a blender, hand blender or whisk to combine all ingredients. Serve.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!
That quote is so stinkin’ true. And for the record, I love pie.
I hope you had a great day with Mom!
No surprise there. I don’t think I know a single woman who doesn’t love pie! 🙂
That salad sound delish! I always use orzo in my soups, but it would make such a perfect pasta salad! genius!
I love the quote! I was so disappointed that my finals continued until this Tuesday. I wanted to make my mom a Mothers Day feast! It’s just going to have to be a belated celebration once I’m home. This salad looks absolutely delicious. I’ve been craving salads majorly lately! Maybe I’ll add this to the menu! Do you have any recommendations for what might pair well with this?
that recipe sounds sooo good!
Lovely post! I will definitely try that salad – looks so yummy:)
Glad you had a GREAT day with your mom! Recipe looks fab!
This salad looks amazing and perfect for summer. I think I know what I’ll be bringing to my next picnic.
that orzo salad looks amazing!!!
LOVE orzo salad…and I love when daughters bless their Mama like you did through this post! 🙂
Looks delicious! I love orzo–a perfect dish for special occasions!
What a lovely dish – looks so good!!! Glad you had a nice time celebrating Mother’s Day with your family and Isaac’s 🙂
Ohhh my gosh this looks so good! I would probably stick it in the fridge for a while before serving.. I like my pasta cold 😛 !
That quote is adorable and so true! And your orzo salad looks fantastic. I am definitely always a fan of a good orzo salad. My ex’s mom used to make one with roasted veggies that was fantastic. I always had a huge helping whenever I was at her house.
Anything with roasted veggies is a favorite in my book! I’d love to try adding some to this recipe.
I love this recipe. I have had this similar recipe from Whole Foods and have wanted to make it for a while. Thank you. Can I use this recipe on my blog w/ credits to you?
Suzanne
sure!
rinsing pasta once you cook it washes away some of the vital nutritious gluten protein!
love the picture of family at the end. you look great in green!
Thanks Katherine!!
That Orzo salad looks delicious. I’ve been loving Orzo lately! 😀
This is one of my favorite kinds of dishes ever and I haven’t had it in soo long. I love Mediterranean flavors! 🙂
It’s been so long since I last had orzo–such a great ingredient! Thanks for the reminder!
Never tried Orzo. But that looks great!
I made this for dinner last night. It was delicious and my husband totally loved it too.
LOVE your dress! Such a vibrant, lively color and it looks wonderful on you. Also enjoyed your tribute to mothers and women 🙂
Mmmmmmm orzo salad :). I did a lemon orzo about a month ago and loved it, I’m definitely trying this one as well!
I love that quote and think that it is so true. I think your salad looks delicious and I am looking forward to trying it soon.
I made this last night- turned out amazing! Thanks for the recipe : )
Hi! I just found your blog and I love it. I live in Richmond and am an organic freak 🙂 I am looking forward to seeing someone local post things about it!
I just made this salad last night thanks to your recipe! I made enough for a small army, so it will be a great lunch to grab for a week or two! Thank you for posting simple yet delicious recipes. I love things that are easy to make but also very different. It is also so helpful that you have this recipe tab because I remembered your post on this and it was easy to locate again. Keep them coming!