Description
Caprese orzo salad is a must for summer bbq! Made with grape tomatoes, mozzarella balls, cucumbers, and the most delicious basil vinaigrette. It’s fresh, light, and incredibly flavorful.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1/2 cup orzo pasta
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 mini cucumbers or 1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced
- 8 oz. mini mozzarella balls
- Balsamic glaze, optional
Basil Vinaigrette
- 1 cup packed basil leaves
- 2 green onions, roughly chopped
- 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook orzo pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Leave in colander to drain.
- Make the vinaigrette by adding all of the ingredients into a bowl of a food processor and pulse until smooth.
- To a large salad bowl, add the drained pasta, tomatoes, cucumbers, and mozzarella. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to combine. Taste for salt and pepper.
- Refrigerate the salad for about 30 minutes or until chilled. Optional, drizzle with balsamic glaze before serving.
Notes
- You can use whole wheat orzo pasta for a more nutrient dense salad.
- I used mini mozzarella balls, also known as “pearls”. If you can’t find them, use ciliegine. They’re slightly bigger in size but still work. You can cut them in half.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 219
- Sugar: 2.5 g
- Sodium: 284.9 mg
- Fat: 14.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 10.6 g
- Protein: 13.8 g
- Cholesterol: 6.8 mg