Greek orzo with tomatoes, feta, olives and fresh basil is a treat meatless meal that a whole family will love! The quick and easy side dish goes well with any main course and is prepared in less than 30 minutes with just one pan. Give this Mediterranean recipe a try and it might become one of your new favorites.
Perfect Side Dish – Greek Orzo with Tomato and Feta
I love making side dishes that go with everything! The Greek Orzo makes a delicious pairing with your favorite proteins, such as grilled, baked or pan-fried meats (chicken, pork, lamb, steak) or seafood (salmon, shrimp, scallops). Pair it with cilantro lime honey salmon, garlic butter shrimp, or Cajun chicken. You can also serve the Greek Orzo plain – it tastes fantastic Meatless main course. Everything is prepared in one pan in less than 30 minutes – a perfect choice for busy people and families. So easy Mediterranean style side dishalso makes a beautiful presentation and you can make it for special occasions when you have company or guests.
How to Make Greek Orzo (Quick Overview)
- How to cook the orzo. First, cook orzo along with chicken broth (or vegetable broth or water). Typically, the orzo is cooked in a 1:2 ratio, for example, 1 cup orzo in 2 cups water, or 1.5 cups orzo in 3 cups water. Cook according to package directions, which usually means 10 minutes. You may need to add a small amount of liquid (if the orzo is too dry) and check your orzo 5 minutes after cooking to make sure it isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- What kind of pan to use? Because orzo is so small, you can cook it in any type of saucepan. I cooked it in a large cast iron skillet and then added the remaining ingredients to the same skillet, making it a one-pan meal.
- Best Greek Orzo Add-ins. After the orzo is cooked, add sliced cherry tomatoes (I recommend multicolored, red, and yellow), sliced sundried tomatoes, sliced kalamata and green olives, and most of the crumbled (or diced) feta cheese.
- Best condiments for orzo. After the orzo is cooked, add freshly squeezed lime juice and a few tablespoons of high quality extra virgin olive oil to the orzo. You can also use butter, but since this is Greek orzo I definitely recommend using good quality extra virgin olive oil – this recipe is perfect for that! Season with some smoked paprika, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes.
- Heat everything up again over low heat until all ingredients are warmed through to taste. Season with salt and pepper. When ready to serve, simply garnish the Greek orzo with a small amount of crumbled feta and chopped fresh basil.
- A note on salt. Since this recipe uses a lot of salty ingredients (like olives and feta cheese), season with salt at the very end and don’t overdo it.
Press
Greek orzo
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Ingredients
- 1.5 cups orzo
- 3 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth or water
- 8th oz cherry tomatoes (red and yellow), halved
- ⅓ Cup sun dried tomatoes in olive oil (chopped)
- ⅓ Cup Kalamata olives cut
- ¼ Cup green olives cut
- 6 oz feta cheese crumbled or cut into small cubes
- 3 tablespoon lime juice Freshly squeezed
- 3 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Italian spice
- ¼ Cup fresh basil chopped
- salt and pepper
instructions
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In a large, high-sided skillet, combine orzo and chicken broth. Bring to the boil briefly, reduce to a visible simmer and cook covered for about 10 minutes (according to package instructions). Check the orzo 5 minutes after cooking and stir it so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Orzo is cooked when all of the water is absorbed and the orzo has a nice cooked pasta texture. You may need to add more water at the end if the orzo is undercooked or the water evaporates too quickly.
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Stir in halved cherry tomatoes, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, sliced Kalamata olives, and sliced green olives. Add feta cheese (crumbled or cut into small cubes) and reserve ¼ cup cheese for later.
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Add lime juice, extra virgin olive oil, smoked paprika powder and Italian seasoning.
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Heat everything over low heat, stirring constantly to mix all the ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper.
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When serving, sprinkle with the remaining feta cheese and chopped fresh basil.
Nourishment
storage tips
- Refrigerator. Greek Orzo keeps well refrigerated for up to 4 days! What’s not to love?! Of course, keep it in an airtight container.
- Freezer. Freeze this dish for up to 2 months.
How to warm up
- stovetop. Heat in a suitable sized pan over low to medium heat. Add a small amount of olive oil while reheating, stirring frequently.
- Microwave. Heat Greek orzo in a deep, high-walled, microwave-safe bowl (bowl) for about 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave, stir well. Return to the oven and heat an additional 30 seconds or more, until heated through.
can you freeze it
Yes, Greek Orzo freezes very well because there is no cream in it. It’s a perfect recipe for your weekly or monthly meal prep! While this meal can be frozen with tomatoes inside, you can also freeze it without the fresh tomatoes and add them in when serving.
Substitutions and Variations
- Pasta. You can make this recipe with any other type of short-cut pasta, such as: E.g. bow ties (farfalle), spiral pasta (fusilli), penne or rigatoni.
- Rice. You can easily make this recipe with rice instead of orzo. Finally, orzo is shaped very much like rice! I recommend jasmine rice, basmati rice, long grain rice, or arborio rice.
- lime or lemon will work great. Freshly squeezed juice is always the best!
- Vegetables. My favorite veggies for Greek Orzo are chopped tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, zucchini, arugula, and spinach.
- Cheese. You can use grated parmesan, asiago, or mozzarella cheese instead of or in addition to feta cheese.
What to serve with it
- Arugula salad with pears, apples, cashews and homemade balsamic vinaigrette
- Easy Arugula Salad with Lemon Zest, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
Other Orzo Recipes You May Like
- Creamy shrimp orzo with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach
- Italian Sausage Orzo Soup with Spinach and Portobello Mushrooms
- Creamy chicken orzo with cherry tomatoes and spinach
- Creamy Chicken Orzo with Butternut Squash and Spinach
- Creamy Butternut Squash Orzo with Sausage
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