Lemon Orzo Salad {Vegan}

Lemon Orzo Salad {Vegan} is a delicious vegan/vegetarian side dish with lots of veggies and a bright lemon vinaigrette. Gluten free option.

Ina Garten is my hero! Everything I’ve made of hers has been fantastic and this dish just hammers home that point. I first saw this on Live.Love.Eat., and it looked so fresh and so good. Although it’s great for summer, I thought it would be a nice year-round dish.

My lab had a holiday potluck lunch and, in addition to the Buche de Noel, I wanted to bring a meatless option for a vegetarian graduate student in the lab (and for my poultry-only self!)

This dish was perfect! The awesome roasted vegetable flavors, the tender orzo, the light dressing, the fresh basil – SO SO SO good. I made it the night before and it was perfect – any dish that can be made in advance is a plus in my book.

Last month I was dabbling a bit in reducing my dairy intake, and in the process visited a few vegan cooking blogs, so I’m more aware of vegan dishes. I realized that I am not prepared to give up my precious dairy, but I’m conscious of when I eat it and whether it’s absolutely necessary in the dishes I prepare. I actually thought the feta cheese was a little much for this – I may have preferred it without. Don’t get me wrong, it does add an interesting flavor and creaminess, but I think this would still be an outstanding dish without it. If any of you out there are vegan or vegetarian, or cooking for someone who is, I highly recommend this dish!

Also try my Healthy Pasta Primavera Salad (vegan option)!

Gluten Free Roasted Vegetable Orzo

Use a gluten free orzo in place of traditional orzo pasta for an entirely gluten free side dish.

Looking for More Orzo Recipes?

Check out my other recipes with orzo pasta:
Orzo with Parmesan and Basil
Creamy Orzo
Orzo Stuffed Peppers
Tomatoes, Zucchini, and Olive Orzo

Looking for Other Side Dishes?

Check out these other side dish recipes:
Italian Charcoal Grilled Corn
Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes
Sweet Corn Tomalito – Chevy’s Copycat
Summer Vegetable Pasta
Crash Hot Potatoes
Garlic Roasted Cauliflower
Chinese Slaw
Cilantro Coconut Rice
Mexican Rice
Parmesan Potatoes
Fleming’s Potatoes Copycat

Lemon Orzo Salad {Vegan}

Meghan

Lemon Orzo Salad {Vegan} is a delicious vegan/vegetarian side dish with a bright lemon vinaigrette. It can be made gluten free.

5 from 18 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Total Time 50 mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 1 small eggplant (peeled and diced into 3/4-inch pieces)
• 1 red bell pepper (cut into 1-inch pieces)
• 1 yellow (or orange bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces)
• 1 red onion (cut into 1-inch pieces)
• 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1/3 cup good olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces dry orzo pasta

For the Dressing:

• 1/3 cup good olive oil
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Finishing Touches:

• green onions
• 15 fresh basil leaves (chiffonade)

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes, or until browned, turning once with a spatula.
• Meanwhile, cook orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes (according to package directions), until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.
• Add roasted vegetables to the orzo, scraping all the liquid and seasoning from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.
• For the dressing, combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and pour on orzo/vegetable mixture. Cool to room temperature.
• Add the scallions and basil, if using. Check the seasonings and adjust with salt and pepper if necessary (not necessary for my taste). Serve at room temperature.

Notes

Source: Adapted from Live.Love.Eat., originally from the Barefoot Contessa

You’re Gonna Bake It After All

bakeitafterall.com

Keyword gluten free, side dish, vegetarian