Gluten Free Orzo Pasta Salad

This gluten free orzo pasta salad is the perfect fresh and healthy recipe for summer! It’s filled with crisp veggies and a simple vinaigrette. It’s vegan and ready in about 30 minutes!

I love a good pasta salad. It’s the perfect summertime meal prep recipe that pairs well with a whole variety of dishes. It’s great for an on the go lunch, simple summer barbecue recipe or easy side dish for a summer family dinner.

This recipe has lots of crisp veggies, a simple lemon vinaigrette and comes together in just about 30 minutes. Same with my favorite chopped salad!

This healthy meal prep recipe is sure to be a weekly staple with all the delicious textures and flavors. If you love this recipe, try my massaged kale salad or vegan caesar salad next.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Easy to make
• Healthy
• Packed with fresh veggies
• Gluten free & vegan

Key ingredients

ORZO. Orzo is not traditionally gluten free and has been one of those pasta shapes that I’ve missed since I was diagnosed with Celiac. For this recipe, I used the Jovial Cassava orzo which I love (used that for my pesto orzo too), but you can also use the Banza chickpea ‘rice’ which has more of an orzo shape than a rice shape in my opinion! That would also add some extra protein here.

Delallo also makes a corn and rice based orzo that I have not tried but heard great things. Of course, since this is a pasta salad, if you can’t find orzo, any other small gluten free pasta shape will work just fine.

VEGGIES. I used cucumber, two different colored bell peppers, corn, red onion and tomatoes. Feel free to get creative here and add in carrots, celery, olives, artichoke hearts or whatever you like!

HERBS. I stuck with just basil because it’s probably my most used herb, but parsley is also delicious in this gluten free orzo salad.

DRESSING. This simple vinaigrette is made up of a base of olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, dijon, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.

How to make gluten free orzo salad

Step 1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook orzo according to package instructions. Note: it is 6 ounces by weight which is about 1 cup by volume.

Step 2. Prep all the veggies by chopping very finely. I like to use a vegetable chopper to make this easier.

Step 3. Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing. When the orzo is done, run under cold water.

Step 4. Combine the orzo and veggies then toss with the dressing, using as much or as little as you like. Taste and adjust flavors as desired, then serve and enjoy! Try my caesar pasta salad or dense bean salad next!

Serving suggestions

This gluten free orzo salad is intended to be a side since it’s not super calorically dense or protein rich. I love to serve it with my lemon pepper salmon– the flavors just go together so well!

For a vegan or vegetarian option, you can try my lemon pepper tofu or even just add a can of drained and rinsed white beans into the salad.

How to store

Once prepared, this salad will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days. Because we’re using crisp veggies and pasta, you don’t really have to worry about it getting soggy.

The cassava pasta holds up really well and doesn’t dry out like some other gluten free pastas, I think largely just because of its smaller shape.

how long to cook gluten-free orzo

Gluten free orzo takes a little longer to cook than a traditional wheat variety. Depending on the brand you buy, subtract about 2 minutes from the suggested cook time so it doesn’t get mushy, which is a common issue with gluten free pasta.

Check your pasta about 1-2 minutes sooner than what the package instructions say. About 8 minutes was perfect for the Jovial cassava orzo.

Try these recipes next!

• Thai Noodle Salad
• Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad
• Vegan Macaroni Salad
• Cucumber Tomato Salad
• Street Corn Pasta Salad

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