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This pasta salad is summertime fresh and ready in less than 30 minutes. Make it ahead of time or serve it right away.
Why We Love This Salad
This salad pops with freshness from cherry tomatoes and juicy ripe peaches. It has a savory bite from the corn, feta, and baby spinach. It’s tossed in a sweet and tangy vinaigrette and topped with salted Pepitas.
Ingredients
- Orzo – Orzo is a small rice-shaped pasta. It goes great in salads and casseroles.
- Tri-Colored or heirloom cherry tomatoes – You can also use just red cherry tomatoes, but I like the color combination of the heirloom varieties.
- Ear of Corn – I grilled 1 ear of corn and cut it off the cob. You can easily use thawed frozen corn.
- Peaches – I use 3 small fresh peaches and while I always prefer fresh fruits and vegetables, you can use canned or jarred peaches.
- Bell Peppers – I use 1/2 green and 1/2 red bell peppers. Of course, you can use one bell pepper of any size.
- Fresh Baby Spinach
- Feta Cheese – I always buy feta cheese in a block rather than pre-crumbled. I find the block feta has a fresher and more robust flavor.
- Salted Pepitas – Another name for pepitas is pumpkin seeds. I used the roasted and salted variety. You can find them in most grocery stores.
Let’s Make Summer Orzo Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Cook orzo pasta per the package instructions.
- If using corn on the cob, grill the corn, cool until able to handle, cut kernels off the cob. If using frozen corn, thaw before adding to the salad.
- Peel, slice, and dice peaches.
- Dice bell pepper into small bite-sized pieces.
- Cut cherry tomatoes in half or in quarters.
- Dice feta cheese.
- Mix together the dressing ingredients.
- Pour mixed dressing over the ingredients and toss.
- Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately or cover and chill in the refrigerator.
Krazy Kitchen Mom Tips
- When cutting vegetables, like bell peppers, be sure to cut them the same size. You want to be able to have equal-sized bites in each forkful of salad.
- I recommend cutting or breaking off the stems of baby spinach. It takes an extra few minutes, but it’s worth it not to get a bite of the stems.
- When making salads, build them and toss them with dressing in a large bowl. Transfer the salad to a separate serving bowl or platter.
Summer Orzo Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette
This pasta salad is summertime fresh and ready in less than 30 minutes. Make it ahead of time or serve it right away.
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Servings: 4
Ingredients
Salad
- 1/2 – 16 oz. box Orzo pasta
- 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 ear corn on the cob
- 2-3 small fresh peaches
- 2 tbsp roasted salted pepitas
Dressing
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Cook orzo pasta per the package instructions.
- If using corn on the cob, grill the corn, cool until able to handle, cut kernels off the cob. If using frozen corn, thaw before adding to the salad.
- Peel, slice, and dice peaches.
- Dice bell pepper into small bite-sized pieces.
- Cut cherry tomatoes in half or in quarters.
- Dice feta cheese.
- Mix together the dressing ingredients.
- Pour mixed dressing over the ingredients and toss.
- Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately or cover and chill in the refrigerator.
Notes
Krazy Kitchen Mom Tips
- When cutting vegetables, like bell peppers, be sure to cut them the same size. You want to be able to have equal-sized bites in each forkful of salad.
- I recommend cutting or breaking off the stems of baby spinach. It takes an extra few minutes, but it’s worth it not to get a bite of the stems.
- When making salads, build them and toss them with dressing in a large bowl. Transfer the salad to a separate serving bowl or platter.
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