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Mediterranean Vegetarian Easy

Lemon Basil Orzo Salad

Orzo dressed while warm so it drinks up the lemon, then folded with basil, cucumber and feta. Better cold the next day.

4.5 (512 reviews) · 27 min total · Serves 6
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Orzo salad with basil leaves, lemon zest and cherry tomatoes in a serving bowl

Recipe facts

Servings

6

6 servings

Scale quantities from 1 to 24 servings

Prep

15 min

Cook

12 min

Total

27 min

Difficulty
Easy
Cuisine
Mediterranean
Dietary
Vegetarian
Category
Lunch

Overview

About this recipe

Lemon Basil Orzo Salad is a easy lunch recipe from our Mediterranean files, built from 10 ingredients and 7 steps and timed at 27 minutes from board to table. Orzo dressed while warm so it drinks up the lemon, then folded with basil, cucumber and feta. Better cold the next day.

As written it yields 6 servings, and the ingredient list rescales with the servings control below so the shopping quantities always match what you are actually cooking. It is logged as vegetarian in our catalog, with 15 minutes of hands-on prep and 12 minutes of cooking — useful to know if you are slotting it into a busy evening.

Worth cooking

Why you'll love it

  • Genuinely quick

    Start to finish in 27 minutes, prep included.

  • Easy to follow

    7 numbered steps and 10 ingredients, nothing hidden.

  • Vegetarian as written

    And the substitutions section covers the common swaps if you need to shift it further.

  • Scales cleanly

    Written for 6, adjustable from 1 to 24 servings with quantities recalculated for you.

  • Tested and re-tested

    Rated 4.5 across 512 cooks in our recipe box.

  • Mediterranean flavours

    Filed under lunch — see the variations below for other directions.

From the recipe box

Lemon Basil Orzo Salad

Yield
6 servings
Prep
15 min
Cook
12 min
Total
27 min

Shopping list

Ingredients

0 of 10 gathered · scaled for 6 servings

Nutrition total for 6 servings

Calories
2628
Protein
78 g
Carbohydrates
336 g
Fat
108 g
Fibre
24 g

Catalog values are per serving estimates, multiplied here for the selected servings.

Step by step

Method

  1. Cook the orzo in heavily salted water until just al dente, about 9 minutes, then drain but do not rinse.

  2. Whisk the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, Dijon and salt in a large bowl.

  3. Add the hot orzo and toss well — it should absorb most of the dressing as it cools.

  4. Let it sit for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until barely warm.

  5. Fold in the cucumber, tomatoes and most of the basil.

  6. Add the feta and pine nuts, folding gently so the cheese stays in pieces.

  7. Serve at room temperature, topped with the last of the basil.

Cook's note

Hold back a third of the dressing and add it just before serving. Pasta salad tastes flat straight from the fridge otherwise.

Swaps that work

Ingredient substitutions

5 swaps matched to this ingredient list, with quantities shown for 6 servings. The ratios stay the same at any scale.

  • Dairy 1:1 by weight

    Instead of 4 oz (115 g) feta, crumbled

    Firm ricotta salata, or marinated tofu for a vegan version

    Ricotta salata is milder and less salty. Tofu whips smooth but needs extra salt and lemon to read as cheese.

  • Pasta & grains 1:1 by weight

    Instead of 1 lb (450 g) orzo

    Gluten-free corn-and-rice pasta, or rice noodles for the stir-fried dish

    Gluten-free versions cook 2 to 3 minutes faster and hold less sauce — reserve extra cooking water to loosen.

  • Oils 1:1

    Instead of 1/3 cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

    Avocado or light rapeseed oil

    Higher smoke point for hard searing and roasting, but you lose the peppery finish — save a little olive oil to drizzle at the end.

  • Acids 1:1 for lime; vinegar at 2/3 the volume

    Instead of Zest and juice of 2 lemons

    Lime, or 1 tsp white wine vinegar per tablespoon of juice

    Lime is brighter and slightly more floral. Vinegar has no zest oils, so add a strip of orange peel for aroma.

  • Acids 1:1 wholegrain; powder as noted

    Instead of 1 tsp Dijon mustard

    Wholegrain mustard, or 1 tsp mustard powder per tablespoon

    Wholegrain emulsifies slightly less, so whisk the dressing a little longer.

Options

Make it your own

  • Add some heat

    A pinch of chilli flakes bloomed in the cooking fat, or a spoonful of chilli crisp at the table, lifts the dish without rewriting it.

  • Make it more substantial

    Fold in a cooked grain or a tin of drained beans; add a little extra salt and acid, since the starch will absorb both.

  • Dairy-free version

    The dairy swaps below are all 1:1 or close to it. Expect a slightly leaner texture rather than a different dish.

  • Change the herb

    Soft herbs swap by volume. Keep the woody ones in the cooking and the tender ones for finishing.

  • Scale it for a crowd

    Doubling from 6 works, but use two pans rather than one — crowding steams what should brown.

At the table

Serving suggestions

  • Room temperature suits this better than fridge-cold — give it 20 minutes out before serving.
  • Bread with a real crust, for mopping or scooping.
  • A sharp green salad dressed only with lemon and oil keeps the plate light.
  • Add a protein — jammy eggs, roasted chickpeas, or leftover chicken — to make it a full meal.

Get it right

Success tips

  1. Read the method through once before you start and set out the ingredients — most mistakes happen mid-step.
  2. Weigh or measure to the list at your chosen serving size; the quantities above are already scaled for 6 as written.
  3. Taste and adjust salt and acid at the end. A squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar fixes more dishes than extra salt does.
  4. Cook's note: Hold back a third of the dressing and add it just before serving. Pasta salad tastes flat straight from the fridge otherwise.

Keeping it

Storage & make-ahead

Fridge

Store components in airtight containers for 3 to 4 days. Keep dressings, herbs and anything crisp separate until you serve, or the texture goes limp overnight.

Freezer

Not recommended: the raw vegetables and fresh dairy here break down and weep on thawing. Make the dressing or sauce ahead instead — that part keeps for a week in the fridge.

Reheating

Warm gently, covered, over low heat or in a 325°F (165°C) oven until hot through, loosening with a spoonful of stock or water. Re-season and add fresh herbs or acid at the end.

Make ahead

With 15 minutes of prep, most of the chopping, mixing and measuring can be done a day early and refrigerated. Leave the final 12 minutes of cooking, and any finishing herbs, acid or dairy, for the day you serve.

Kit

Equipment checklist

  • Balloon whisk or hand mixer
  • Sieve or colander
  • Wire cooling rack
  • Microplane or fine grater
  • Digital scale, mixing bowls, sharp knife and board
  • Large mixing bowl and a smaller one for dressings or seasonings
  • Wooden spoon or silicone spatula for stirring and scraping
  • Measuring cups and spoons, plus a ladle for serving

Questions

Frequently asked

Can I change the number of servings?

Yes. The recipe is written for 6 servings and the control in the recipe card rescales every ingredient quantity and the nutrition estimate from 1 to 24 servings. Cooking times change far less than quantities do, so use the visual and temperature cues in the method rather than the clock.

How far ahead can I make it?

Most of the 15 minutes of prep can be done a day ahead and refrigerated. Leave the 12 minutes of cooking and any fresh finishing — herbs, acid, dairy, crisp toppings — for serving day. The storage section above has the specifics.

What if I am missing an ingredient?

Check the substitutions section: each swap lists a workable ratio and what it changes about flavour, texture or timing. Salt, acid and fat are the elements worth keeping honest; almost everything else has a sensible stand-in.

Is this recipe really vegetarian?

As written, yes — it is filed as vegetarian in our catalog. If you swap ingredients, check labels on stock, cheese and condiments, which are the usual places animal products hide.

My timing came out differently — what happened?

Pan size, how full the pan is, and how cold the ingredients were all shift timing by several minutes. Trust the described look and feel at each step, and give the food room so it browns instead of steaming.