Memorial Day weekend is almost upon us, and for me, that means summer is here. It’s a time for days spent in the sunshine, nights spent outside, cooking with family and friends, and enjoying simple dinners with fresh summer produce. Lots of grilling, fresh summer herbs, corn, sweet tomatoes, zucchini, and of course, all the berries and stone fruit too. We have so much to look forward to. For any given summer gathering, you can guarantee that I’ll have a pasta salad on my buffet table. Really yummy, flavorful pasta salads are summertime staples. So happy to be making these again! Today’s recipe is a new one with flavors we know and LOVE. Greek salads are delicious just as they are. Fresh tomatoes, cubes of feta cheese, dill, and a simple dressing. I elevated the classic Greek salad with orzo pasta, grilled pesto chicken, cucumbers, olives, cherry tomatoes, plenty of fresh herbs, and one of my favorite variations on a Greek dressing. This is such a great make-ahead salad. You can serve it warm or cold, and as a side or as a main. You and your guests will enjoy every bite!
Greek Dressing Ingredients
Step 1
How to make my Greek dressing This is very easy and my secret is to make the dressing directly in the same bowl you toss the salad in. Get a nice big salad bowl, then mix all of the ingredients listed until combined. Season the dressing to your taste with salt, pepper, and chili flakes. For the combination of herbs, I love to use fresh basil, dill, oregano, and thyme. You can use your favorite mix or whatever you have in the fridge (or garden). And if you don’t have any fresh herbs swap in dried herbs instead.
Greek Chicken Orzo Salad Ingredients
Step 2
Grill the chicken Toss the chicken with basil pesto and balsamic vinegar and heat up your grill. Grill each chicken tender until fully cooked through. Once finished cooking, you can chop or shred the chicken to use in the salad. If you are vegetarian or looking to serve this as more of a side dish. You can omit the chicken from the recipe.
Step 3
Cook the orzo Cook the orzo in boiling water, drain, and toss that hot orzo with the dressing in the salad bowl. Do this while the orzo is still steaming hot. Tossing the orzo while hot helps to further develop the flavors of the salad. The heat will activate the fresh herbs and shallots used in the dressing. It’s going to smell delicious!
Step 4- assemble
The final step is to assemble the salad. Once the orzo is tossed with the dressing, add all the remaining ingredients, the grilled chicken from above, cubes of feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, roasted red peppers, and all those fresh herbs. You can also add some pepperoncini if you enjoy as well. This salad can be made up to a day in advance. It’s a wonderful dish to entertain with or use as meal prep for busy weekday lunches! You and your family and friends will really love this fresh salad! Looking for other great pasta salad recipes? Here are some favorites: Caprese Caesar Pasta Salad Pesto Chicken, Corn, and Avocado Bacon Pasta Salad Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad Grilled Lemon Herb Chicken Avocado Orzo Salad with Honey Mustard Bacon Dressing Lastly, if you make this Greek Chicken Orzo Salad, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
