Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

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This Greek orzo pasta salad is the kind of side dish that shows up to potlucks and disappears first. It’s fresh, tangy, and comes together in 20 minutes of active time—then gets better as it sits in the fridge overnight while the flavors meld together.

Perfect for meal prep, picnics, or alongside grilled chicken, this cold pasta salad doesn’t require any cooking skills beyond boiling water. The key move is rinsing the orzo after cooking to stop it from clumping into a brick as it chills.

This recipe hits the intersection of healthy, spring-ready, and genuinely craveable. Make it ahead and let it do the work for you.

Why You’ll Love It

  • Ready to eat in 20 minutes active time (plus chilling)
  • Tastes better the next day as flavors meld
  • Works as a main course or a side dish
  • Easy to customize with your preferred vegetables
  • Holds up well in the fridge for meal prep
  • No unusual or hard-to-find ingredients

Ingredients

For the Salad

  • 1.5 cups orzo pasta
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 English cucumber, diced
  • 1/2 cup kalamata olives, halved
  • 1/2 red onion, finely diced
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

For the Dressing

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Steps

Cook the orzo according to package directions in salted boiling water.

Drain the orzo and rinse it under cold water until completely cooled—this stops the cooking process and prevents the pasta from clumping as it chills.

Transfer the cooled orzo to a large bowl and add the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, kalamata olives, red onion, and feta cheese.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, minced garlic, and dried oregano.

Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss everything together until evenly coated.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper—cold food needs more salt than it seems like it should.

Helpful Tips and Substitutions

Rinse the orzo after cooking. This removes the surface starch that would otherwise bind the pasta into a dense brick in the fridge. It’s one of the few times you actually want to rinse your pasta.

Use a high-quality olive oil in the dressing—you’re eating it cold, so the flavor matters more than it would in a hot dish.

Dice your vegetables consistently so the salad looks intentional and each forkful has a balance of ingredients.

Swap the English cucumber for regular cucumber if needed, but peel and seed it first to avoid a watery salad.

If you’re not a kalamata fan, green olives work fine, or skip them entirely and add sun-dried tomatoes instead.

Make the dressing in the bottom of the bowl before adding the pasta and vegetables—one less dish to wash.

Serving Ideas

Serve it cold alongside grilled chicken, lamb, or fish for a complete meal.

Pack it in containers for lunch throughout the week.

Bring it to potlucks or picnics in a large container and let guests serve themselves.

Pair it with fresh bread and a simple green salad for a light dinner.

Layer it on a bed of greens to turn it into a composed salad.

Make-Ahead and Storage

This salad is designed for make-ahead. Assemble it, cover it, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

The flavors deepen and improve over the first 24 hours as the orzo absorbs the dressing and the vegetables release their moisture.

If the salad seems dry after a day in the fridge, add a splash more olive oil and red wine vinegar to loosen it up.

Don’t dress the salad too far in advance if you plan to use it as a side dish—it will weep liquid and look soggy. Mix the components and dress them no more than 4 hours before serving.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It stays fresh for 3 days, though the vegetables will gradually soften.

Related Recipes

If you like this recipe, try our Greek Ground Beef Quinoa Bowl with Feta and Tzatziki or Mediterranean Ground Beef Orzo with Feta and Sun-Dried Tomatoes for more Greek-inspired options.

Shop the Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this salad:

This Greek orzo pasta salad stays fresh in your fridge and tastes even better after sitting overnight. Make it once and you’ll find yourself coming back to it all season long.

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