Orzo Salad with Feta and Chickpeas

The best orzo salad recipe, sure to please a crowd! Loaded with fresh herbs, chickpeas, feta cheese, and a bright lemon vinaigrette, this recipe is one of my all-time favorites. It’s easy and you can make it ahead of time. Serve it as a main course, a side dish, or top it with chicken, fish, steak, anything you like.

Minted Orzo Salad Recipe with Chickpeas and Feta Cheese - this deliciously easy vegetarian side dish is my most requested! It's loaded with fresh flavor from herbs and a bright lemon vinaigrette and it tastes amazing hot or cold so feel free to make ahead of time!

 When I set out to make an orzo salad recipe, of course I wanted it to be delicious. And sure, I wanted it to be quick to prepare, because hey, I was using orzo for a reason: it’s as small as a grain of rice, so it cooks up in no time. But I never expected it to be the best orzo salad recipe ever…or for it to be one of my favorite side dishes of all time.

Minted Orzo Salad Recipe with Chickpeas and Feta Cheese - this deliciously easy vegetarian side dish is my most requested! It's loaded with fresh flavor from herbs and a bright lemon vinaigrette and it tastes amazing hot or cold so feel free to make ahead of time!

I think it’s the fragrant mint and sweet basil. Or maybe the creamy cool feta cheese. It could be the bright and zingy lemon vinaigrette that the orzo gets tossed with to give it a real freshness. It’s too hard to choose. To bump up the protein, I added chickpeas, and to perk up the texture, I threw in crispy-crunchy red onion and celery.

How To Make Minted Orzo Salad with Feta and Chickpeas – Step By Step

  • Boil the orzo in the chicken broth until tender. Drain and let cool slightly.
  • Combine the orzo with the chickpeas, feta, red onion, celery, basil, and mint in a large bowl.
  • Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a blender and pulse until well combined and emulsified. Pour over the orzo salad and toss to coat. Let stand for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend before serving at room temperature or even chilled.

The Best Orzo Salad Recipe!

Everyone who ate this minted orzo salad with chickpeas and feta raved about it! For a salad that requires so little cooking/prep time, taste greats hot or cold, and works even better when you make it ahead of time, you can’t go wrong here. Next time you want a sure-fire win for a potluck, just boil up some orzo in chicken broth (instant flavor booster!), whisk up the simple lemon vinaigrette, and toss it all with mint, feta, and a few other fresh ingredients!

Top Tips For Minted Orzo Salad with Feta and Chickpeas.

  • Make sure to drain and rinse the chickpeas.
  • When cooking orzo, you do not need to add cooking oil to the pasta water; adding oil prevents sauces and seasonings from adhering to the orzo.
  • After cooking the orzo, let it cool slightly before combining with the rest of the ingredients.
  • Let the salad stand for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.
Minted Orzo Salad Recipe with Chickpeas and Feta Cheese - this deliciously easy vegetarian side dish is my most requested! It's loaded with fresh flavor from herbs and a bright lemon vinaigrette and it tastes amazing hot or cold so feel free to make ahead of time!

Check Out These Other Tasty Salad Recipes

Farro Beet Mason Jar Salad with Pistachios and Apricots

Chicken Fajita Salad

Nicoise Salad

Southwestern Shrimp Caesar Salad

Healthy Pepperoni Pasta Salad by Well Plated

Chopped Wedge Salad by Skinnytaste

If you have tried this Minted Orzo Salad with Feta and Chickpeas recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!

Minted Orzo Salad with Chickpeas and Feta

A deliciously easy orzo salad with bright lemon vinaigrette, fresh mint, basil, and feta cheese that’s great served hot or cold! This one is sure to please a crowd!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
rest30 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chickpea salad, feta salad, minted orzo, orzo salad
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 340kcal

Ingredients

Orzo Salad:

  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 cups dry orzo pasta
  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/2 medium red onion finely chopped (about 2/3 cup)
  • 1 large celery stalk finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves

Lemon Vinaigrette:

  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Boil the orzo in the chicken broth until tender. Drain and let cool slightly.
  • Combine the orzo with the chickpeas, feta, red onion, celery, basil, and mint in a large bowl.
  • Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a blender and pulse until well combined and emulsified. Pour over the orzo salad and toss to coat. Let stand for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend before serving at room temperature or even chilled.

Nutrition

Calories: 340kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 12g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g
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65 thoughts on “Orzo Salad with Feta and Chickpeas

  1. katecooks

    last night i tried to make a simple mix up salad like this one (pearled barley, cucumber, roasted grape tomatoes, basil, kale and a peanut dressing) but something was a little off and it wasn’t my favorite combo. this looks great though – minus feta – but i bet goat cheese would be equally delicious!

    Reply
    1. Anne Wiseman

      feta is goat cheese which I love in it because it gives it a slightly salty tase. Personally I like green onions with it rather than the red onion..

      Reply
  2. Tammy

    you are my new favorite person! high five for your weight loss and double high five for your tasty recipes and travel adventures.

    Reply
  3. Sandra

    Congratulations on your weight loss, you have inspired me to try harder. which book would you recommend reading first or had the most impact on your journey, the salad looks great but I don’t see serving size or calorie count.

    Reply
  4. Ashley Bee (Quarter Life Crisis Cuisine)

    Ohh yum. Mint is such a summer flavor to me. I remember my mom growing it in her garden and I would steal little bits to chew on. I once thought I could live off mint, if I ever needed to run away from home I’d just take a little mint plant with me.

    Hehe good job on this, love the flavor combo.

    Reply
  5. *Andrea*

    this looks like one of my favorite side dishes at whole foods’ salad bar. sooo glad i can recreate it now!!

    Reply
  6. Kelly

    Hey! I’ve just come across your blog from Pinterest. LOVE it! I now have it booked to my favorites and have been reading up for the last 30 minutes. Thanks so much for sharing your weight loss journey, the beautiful pictures, and these amazing photos of food! YUM

    Reply
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  8. Katie

    I just made this and it was delicious! Perfect for a summer afternoon. Thank you for this great recipe!

    Reply
  9. Jodie

    looks great! how many servings is this? I want to serve it for my in law this week and want to know if should double the recipe or not.

    Reply
  10. Katie

    I made this on friday and it was DELICIOUS! thank you! I served it to 6 people to go along with our meal, and there was still some left over. YUM, I will definitely make this again this summer.

    Reply
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  12. Lani

    I NEVER make recipes from blogs, just pin them for fun in the hopes that someday I’ll try them. I made this, and it was OUT of this world. Reminded me of a lot of the age-old Armenian recipes we make with mint. Now I’m brining it to all my family get togethers – thank you!!

    Reply
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  14. Candice

    I stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest and made it for a pot luck today and it got rave reviews! Thank you for the wonderful salad recipe a friend of mine will now be taking it to her next party next weekend!

    Reply
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  16. Angie

    This recipe was under vegetarian, but has chicken broth in it. Suggestions on a replacement? I’d like to try it cuz it sounds yummy!!!

    Reply
  17. Kim

    My new favorite dish! Doubled garbanzo beans, added tons if mint & loved it! Will try with different grains for added fiber/nutrients. Many thanks!

    Reply
  18. ML Bishop

    I found your blog and this recipe on Pinterest and I made it last night—LOVE IT! The best salad ever. Thank you so much for a new favorite!

    Reply
  19. Mademoiselle Gravelle

    Sure would like caloric info consistently . U have great ideas. It’s not that hard to do but, it may mean the difference in wanting to try recipe…..thanks for all u do!

    Reply
    1. Andie

      I understand and I thank you. I just added the nutrition info for this recipe above, if that helps for now. As a personal assignment, I’m working on going back and editing older recipes to include the nutrition in nearly all of them.

      I appreciate you being here,

      Andie

      Reply
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  24. Megan

    I am not a cook at all, but had to bring a dish to a friend’s potluck yesterday. So, I made this one – and it was a HUGE hit! Everyone kept raving about it. I think it’s the dressing that really nails it. So great. Thank you!

    FYI for other readers: I substituted vegetable broth for the chicken, and goat cheese for the feta. Equally delicious.

    Reply
  25. Tim

    I just made this. It’s fantastic. Feels a little more like a summer salad but it’s February in Connecticut and I am dreaming of warm sunny days. Thank you for the inspiration, it fits in my diet plan and exercise efforts and it’s delicious !

    Reply
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  27. Carol Hansen

    Andie!

    Another hit in the Hansen Household! I made the whole batch ( I knew it would be good)so that I could serve some tonight…I am having my bestie’s over for dinner since my husband is out of town:) They are going to love it! Thanks! XOXOXO

    Reply
  28. Darlene

    I have made this for 4 get togethers and everyone raved about it! I added sliced black olives and cherry tomatoes instead of celery. This salad is so easy and SO good.

    Reply
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