Recently, writer Sharon Kurtz sent us an article about the history of Omaha Steaks with tips for cooking steak from the pros. In that article, she mentioned that she put slices of grilled steak over an orzo pasta salad with a Greek flare. It looked and sounded so good, Sharon was kind enough to share the recipe with us. Enjoy it as is, add a protein of your choice, or turn it into a vegan orzo recipe by omitting the feta cheese (or finding a vegan cheese replacement). 

Greek Orzo Pasta Salad with Basil and Feta

This make-ahead salad is simple to prepare, fresh, bright and delicious. It’s one of those easy garden salad recipes that are perfect for when basil is overflowing in my backyard herb garden. — Sharon

Add grilled steak, chicken, pork, or shrimp to your Green Orzo Pasta salad.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

8 ounces orzo pasta
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
¼ cup Balsamic vinegar
1 TBS Dijon Mustard
½ tsp coarse salt
¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces fresh basil leaves, sliced chiffonade
6 ounces (about 1½ cups) feta cheese, crumbled

Method:

Cook the orzo in a large pot of salted water until tender but firm; about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse quickly in cold water. Drain well and set aside.

In a skillet over medium heat, toast almonds until lightly golden; about 2 minutes. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until combined. While whisking, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Keep whisking until the vinaigrette has emulsified.

To the vinaigrette, add pasta, almonds, basil and feta. Toss until everything is combined and serve immediately. This salad can be made up to a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

For a paleo-friendly version, top with steak, chicken, pork, shrimp, or other protein of choice. To make it vegan, omit the feta cheese or use a non-dairy version.

— Recipe and photo by Sharon Kurtz

Hungry for more? Get tips for making perfectly-cooked steak to top this Greek Orzo Pasta Salad, in this article. Then, enjoy this article by Sharon on Sicilian Lemons. It’s one of our most popular.

Keep this garden salad recipe handy by pinning it to Pinterest.

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