Crispy, crunchy and so delicious! Asparagus orzo salad has it all! Pasta salads like this are my jam. It’s the perfect quick summer lunch to keep on hand for the week because it pairs beautifully with chicken, shrimp, or salmon. It’s quick enough to shovel in your mouth at lunchtime while you juggle all the things. But it’s also fancy enough to serve as a side dish with grilled chicken and grilled sweet bell peppers drizzled with balsamic for dining al fresco. What really seals the deal for me on this salad is that it takes about 30 minutes to put together and what you’re left with is a refreshing cold asparagus salad with rice-like pasta and a lemon vinaigrette that you could chug with a spoon!
Ingredients for asparagus lemon orzo pasta salad:
Orzo pasta: dried orzo pasta makes the base of this salad. You can also use any other small-shaped pasta that you’d like if you don’t happen to have orzo on hand. Ditalini and pearl couscous are just a couple of options. You could also use quinoa to make it a quinoa salad, however, you’ll need to guesstimate how much you need as I haven’t tested this yet.Asparagus spears: this salad is perfect to make when asparagus is in season! You want to use fresh tender spears and you’ll need roughly a pound before trimming the ends.Panko breadcrumbs: Toasted panko gives the salad a crunchy element.Garlic: We’ll use the garlic to season the breadcrumbs. I highly suggest a fine grater for this recipe.Lemon Zest + juice: The zest will go into the breadcrumbs when they’re hot off of the skillet. This gives the breadcrumbs the most delicious lemony fragrance. The lemon zest releases lemon oil when it hits the panko and it is glorious! The lemon juice will go into the dressing for the salad.All the herbs: You’ll need scallions, dill, mint, fresh basil, and parsley. Use any or all of those herbs. I’ve started an herb garden recently, so for me, it’s a no-brainer to use as many as I can!Feta cheese: feta gives the salad a briny punch. We’ve got acid from the lemon dressing, salt and brininess from the feta, and sweetness from the honey. Each bite is an explosion of flavor.Olive oil: Good olive oil works best here as this recipe will be consumed cold. Shallots: You can use a minced red onion as well if you don’t have a shallot on hand, but I find the shallot does make the dressing a bit milder.Dijon mustard: Imulsifies the dressing and adds a bit of umami.Honey: helps balance the dressing. It also sweetens it a bit so the acid from the lemon juice isn’t as harsh.Seasonings: Of course, you’ll need kosher salt and black pepper for seasonings!
How to make crunchy asparagus orzo salad:
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
Roasted Corn Chicken Orzo Salad with Garlic Lime DressingGarlic Parmesan Orzo RisottoTomato Basil and Feta Orzo SaladCreamy Chicken Mushroom Soup with OrzoHerb-Loaded Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
IB: NYTCooking.
