Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Grilled Vegetables

I am in love. Truly. This side dish was so good that I could eat just it for a meal and be perfectly happy. I planned to cook the veggies on the grill but it started raining so I decided to do the next best thing and use my grill pan. It worked perfectly. I loved the flavor of the grilled vegetables with the creamy orzo and tangy dressing. I served this orzo salad with the Mediterranean Pork Medallions and ended up cutting up the meat into bite sized chunks and mixing it in with the orzo. It was such a fantastic combination of flavors and textures! This dish was a huge hit with all of us, although my daughter would have preferred it without the feta cheese. I highly recommend this recipe!

Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Grilled Vegetables:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Dash of dried oregano
• Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Combine all of the ingredients together in a small bowl and whisk well. Set aside.

Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Grilled Vegetables:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 zucchini, cut into spears
• 1 yellow squash, cut into spears
• 1/2 red onion, sliced into rings
• 1 baby yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1 baby red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 baby orange bell pepper, sliced
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Dash of oregano, to taste
• 1 cup of orzo, cooked per instructions
• 1 1/2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp of crumbled feta
• Handful of kalamata olives, sliced

Coat a large grill pan with cooking spray over medium high heat. Slice the vegetables then drizzle the olive oil over them and season them with oregano, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Toss to coat evenly. Place into the hot grill pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until tender. The onion and bell peppers may take longer than the zucchini and squash. Set the vegetables aside to cool before dicing.

Cook the orzo in salted water per instructions then drain well. Pour the cooked orzo into a large bowl. Add the diced grilled vegetables, fresh parsley, and feta cheese. Drizzle the vinaigrette onto the mixture then toss to coat evenly (you may not need all of the vinaigrette). Taste and re-season if needed. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net