vegetarian

Chimichurri Orzo Salad

Name: Chimichurri Orzo Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 people
Ingredients: 1 cup parsley (60 g); 1 cup cilantro (60 g, can substitute with more parsley); ½ cup chopped red onion (75 g); 3 cloves garlic; 2 Tbsp lime juice (30 mL); ¼ cup red wine vinegar (60 mL); ¼ tsp salt; ¼ tsp black pepper; ¼ tsp crushed red pepper; ½ cup extra virgin olive oil (120 mL); 1 cup uncooked orzo (210 g); 1 cup fresh spinach (60 g); ½ cup feta cheese (75 g)

This Chimichurri Orzo Salad is tossed in a simple herby dressing, loaded with veggies, sprinkled with feta cheese (and all in under 15 minutes!)

This Chimichurri Orzo Salad is tossed in a simple herby dressing that's loaded with veggies and sprinkled with feta cheese (and all in under 15 minutes!)

I’ve been exploring the world of foolproof sauces lately. Because after frustratingly futile attempts at mayonnaise and hollandaise, I’d rather stick to the sauces that I can’t screw up. There was this romesco sauce (which I put on ev-er-y-thing) and now we’re giving chimichurri sauce a go!

Chimichurri sauce is a simple combination of parsley, cilantro (or more parsley if you’re one of those people that despises cilantro), onions, garlic, and a few more flavor makers. It’s basically the Argentinian cousin of pesto. You can use it as a marinade, sauce, or dressing (which is what we’ll be doing in today’s Chimichurri Orzo Salad!)

This Chimichurri Orzo Salad is tossed in a simple herby dressing that's loaded with veggies and sprinkled with feta cheese (and all in under 15 minutes!)

Chimichurri Orzo Salad

This Chimichurri Orzo Salad is tossed in a simple herby dressing, loaded with veggies, sprinkled with feta cheese (and all in under 15 minutes!)

Course Pastas, Side Dishes

Diet Vegetarian

Occasion 4th of July, Easter, St. Patrick's Day, Thanksgiving

Time 15 minutes or less

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 448 kcal

Author Live Eat Learn

Ingredients

1 cup parsley 60 g
1 cup cilantro 60 g, can substitute with more parsley
½ cup chopped red onion 75 g
3 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp lime juice 30 mL
¼ cup red wine vinegar 60 mL
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
½ cup extra virgin olive oil 120 mL
1 cup uncooked orzo 210 g
1 cup fresh spinach 60 g
½ cup feta cheese 75 g

Instructions

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add orzo. Cook 7 to 10 minutes, or until al dente (these cooking instructions may vary by brand, check your orzo package).
While the orzo cooks, add parsley, cilantro, red onion, garlic, lime juice, red wine vinegar, salt, black pepper, red pepper, and olive oil to a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
Slice spinach into thin strips (it’s easiest to stack them up and slice a bunch at once).
Stir to combine orzo and chimichurri sauce to suit your taste (you may not need the whole batch of sauce). Stir in spinach and feta and serve!

Nutrition Facts

Chimichurri Orzo Salad

Amount Per Serving (0.25 recipe)

Calories 448 Calories from Fat 270

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 30g 46%

Saturated Fat 6g 30%

Cholesterol 17mg 6%

Sodium 375mg 16%

Potassium 215mg 6%

Total Carbohydrates 37g 12%

Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Sugars 4g

Protein 9g 18%

Vitamin A 79%

Vitamin C 47%

Calcium 10%

Iron 16%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Helpful products for this Chimichurri Orzo Salad

This recipe was first published on Amanda’s Cookin’, where I’m a contributor. This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, I may earn a commission (at no extra cost to you!) Thanks so much for stopping by and for making easy vegetarian recipes like this Chimichurri Orzo Salad possible!