Fresh Mediterranean Orzo Salad

I was pleased to run across this orzo salad at my local Coscto last month. It is such a fresh and flavorful salad. We used it for a side, but you could add some rotisserie chicken and make it a meal. I was surprised how easy that this was to recreate also. Here's all you need to make it:

Photo byKJ

Ingredients:

• 4 cups orzo pasta
• 2.5 oz fresh spinach leaves , roughly chopped
• 1 cup kalamata olives, seeded and roughly chopped
• 10 oz grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 ½ cups feta cheese, crumbled
• 8 oz hard salami, cubed
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil or extra light olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon salt

First, cook orzo according to package directions. Drain water and immediately rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well again to remove as much water as possible.

Next, in a large bowl, combine the cooked and cooled orzo with spinach leaves, olives, tomatoes, feta, and cubed salami.

In a smaller bowl or mason jar with a lid, combine together the olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, and salt and whisk or shake until smooth.

Pour the dressing over the salad, gently tossing to coat everything evenly. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to a day before serving. Enjoy!

If you happen to have leftovers, they will last for 4-5 days in the fridge if covered well. I tend to like to let mine sit for at least 30 minutes before serving, but I usually can't wait that long.