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 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. I have since remade this pasta many times and omit the cheese, so I have left it out of the recipe below.
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 Option
Use a gluten free orzo in place of traditional orzo pasta for an entirely gluten free side dish.
📖 Recipe
Lemon Orzo Salad {Vegan}
Ingredients
- 1 small eggplant (peeled and diced into ¾-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)
- ⅓ cup good olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces dry orzo pasta
For the Dressing:
- ⅓ cup good olive oil
- ⅓ 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.1 small eggplant, 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow, 1 red onion, 2 cloves of garlic, ⅓ cup good olive oil, 1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 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.8 ounces dry orzo pasta
- 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.⅓ cup good olive oil, ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, freshly ground black pepper
- 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.green onions, 15 fresh basil leaves
Mary Ann says
I have made this before and absolutely love it! I have never posted about it though. I totally agree that it would be delicious w/out the feta as well.
You have inspired me to make it again!
Sook says
hi meghan, you have a lovely blog. This dish looks delish! Love all the colors. So appetizing.
Unknown says
I wish I had that for dinner right now!
Megan says
Ina is definitely my hero - everything recipe I've ever tried of hers comes out perfect every time. I'm reducing my meat intake, but not my dairy (love my cheese!) so this would be a great lunch.
Kerstin says
This does look fantastic - don't know if I could leave the feta out though... 🙂 So perfect for a potluck too!
Leslie says
Oh my! This looks amazing! So light and fresh, yet comforting
fimere says
une très belle assiette avec de belles couleurs, j'aime beaucoup
bonne soirée
Melissa says
I've got a bag of orzo just waiting in the pantry!
Live.Love.Eat says
OMG, at first I was like, wow, I have made that before and then I saw you had linky love to me 🙂 You make me want to make this again. It has been too long. Luckily, I was at a friend's house this past weekend and she made it. It was a surprise, she didn't tell me.