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This Lemon and Herb Orzo Salad With Roasted Zucchini is full of refreshing flavors like lemon, dill, basil, and parsley. Perfect for summer dinners or potlucks!
The best Sundays involve puttering around in comfy clothes with coffee and cracking open a book; maybe getting some housework done to leave myself with a fresh environment for the new week ahead. An added bonus to all of this is cooking a dinner all low and slow to fill your home with the aroma of something damn good that you just can’t wait to dig into later.
That’s exactly what this past Sunday entailed. I threw some gloriously saucy ribs in the oven, baked them on low all afternoon, and enjoyed some reading in between tidying up.
I also made this killer impromptu lemon and herb orzo salad! It’s lemony, herbaceous, tangy, and everything you want in a spring time side dish :)
Our usual dinner side is a roasted veg of some sort—usually this oven-roasted broccoli with nutritional yeast. (We just can’t get tired of that one.) But! I really wanted our messy fall-off-the-bone ribs to be accompanied by something that celebrated the warmer weather we’ve been having—like a cold and hearty salad full of tasty goodies. After all, at 70º F, I knew we’d be feasting out on the deck. Might as well do it right!
Lemon and Herb Orzo Salad With Roasted Zucchini.
The flavor profile in this recipe is simple in a most welcoming way. Freshly squeezed lemon plus a collection of fresh herbs equate to an invigorating mouthful. And if you’re a gardener, you can easily use your own harvest, which is always fulfilling.
This is definitely a salad you’ll want to make several times throughout the summer whether you’re throwing it down as a side dish or bringing it to a potluck. And! Because the flavors are so simple, it could pair with just about anything—like this garlic butter steak stir-fry or this Greek grilled chicken.
Some interesting finds.
>> I am currently *obsessed* with this Instagram feed. If you’re a sucker for pastels and perfectly smooth royally-iced sugar cookies, check it out. Scrolling through that feed is so soothing. Let me if you check it out!
>> I’ve been cleaning my house with Aunt Fannie’s products and am loving them so far. Environmentally friendly, non toxic, and no harsh ingredients.
>> This year my goal has been to drastically minimize my use of plastic. It started with remembering to haul my collection of reusable grocery bags whenever I went shopping. Then, I replaced plastic baggies with these handy silicone bags (I’ll be hosting a giveaway for them on Instagram soon, so keep your eyes peeled). Finally, I ordered myself some of these mesh produce bags. Bit by bit!
Hope you’re having a great week, and I hope you dig into this salad in the near future :)
If you try this recipe or create your own variation, let me know in the comments! I love connecting with you. Then snap a photo and tag me on the Insta @killing__thyme to be featured in our newsletter.
Lemon and Herb Orzo Salad With Roasted Zucchini
Ingredients
Orzo.
- 8 oz orzo
Roasted Zucchini.
- 2 small - medium zucchini, diced
- 1/2 TBSP olive oil
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Lemon and Herb Dressing.
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 TBSP fresh chopped parsley
- 1 TBSP fresh chopped dill
- 1 TBSP fresh chopped basil
- 2 TBSP water
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- Cracked black pepper
Orzo Salad.
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
- 4 oz crumbled feta
- 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts , *See notes
- Some extra chopped fresh herbs, for garnish
Instructions
Roasted Zucchini.
- Preheat oven to 425º F.Place diced zucchini into a large bowl. Drizzle with 1/2 TBSP of olive oil and sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Toss to coat, then spread the zucchini over a baking sheet. Bake until tender—about 8-10 minutes. Once the zucchini is done, remove it from the oven and set aside.
Orzo.
- Cook the orzo as per the directions on the package (no longer than al dente). When it's ready, drain the orzo and run it under cool water, tossing it lightly with your fingers to get that starchiness out. Give the orzo a good shake in the strainer to remove excess water, and transfer the orzo to a large serving bowl; set aside.
Lemon and Herb Dressing.
- Zest your lemons before juicing them, and transfer the zest to a blender. Add the lemon juice followed by all of the other ingredients for the dressing to the blender. Blend until all of the ingredients are thoroughly mixed and pureed into a dressing. Give it a taste test and season further if needed.
- Drizzle half of the dressing over the orzo and toss to coat. Give it a taste. If you think it needs more, drizzle a little bit more dressing over the orzo until you're satisfied with the flavor. Save any extra dressing in a sealed container for future use. (You can drizzle it over any leftovers to revive the salad after it being refrigerated.)
- Finally, toss the roasted zucchini in with the orzo, followed by 1/2 cup chopped red onion, 4 oz of crumbled feta, 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts, and some extra chopped fresh herbs. Give everything a toss and serve, or place it in the fridge until serving time.
- The salad and any leftover dressing will last in the fridge for 3-5 days.
