Greek Salmon Orzo Salad
Summer has arrived! We’ve already had two heat waves of over 100° F weather. We turn to salad for dinner when the weather heats up. Greek Salmon Orzo Salad is easy to make, healthy and refreshing to eat. The delicate texture of the salmon and orzo pasta contrasts nicely with the briny olives, crisp asparagus and red onion. We like to add a little balsamic syrup on top, which can be purchased or homemade (recipe here).
If it’s not too hot where you live, and you’re feeling adventurous, we highly recommend you make this delicious Mediterranean Flatbread. It’s a wonderful accompaniment to the salad.
You should eat our Greek Salmon Orzo Salad immediately after you make it. The orzo tends to soak up the balsamic dressing.
We hope you are nice and cool wherever you are!
Jump to Recipe
Quick and easy prep!
Cook your salmon fillets under the broiler for anywhere from 5-10 minutes, depending on size and thickness.
Toss everything together…
Top each portion of orzo with a salmon filet and drizzle with a bit of balsamic syrup and you’re ready to enjoy!
Greek Salmon Orzo Salad
Ingredients
- 2 – 6 oz salmon fillets
- Olive oil
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup uncooked orzo rice-shaped pasta
- 1 pound asparagus trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- ¼ cup assorted olives coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese plus more for garnish
- Balsamic Vinaigrette bottled or homemade
- Sliced Pepperoncini optional
- Balsamic syrup optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Add asparagus; cook 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove asparagus from water with slotted spoon, reserving water in pan. Plunge asparagus into ice water; drain and set aside.
- Return reserved water to a boil. Add orzo and cook according to package directions (on the lower side of cooking time for al-dente pasta). Drain, rinse briefly with cool water and drain again, thoroughly. In a large bowl, toss the orzo with a tablespoon or so of olive oil and set aside.
- Preheat broiler.
- Rub salmon filets all over with olive oil and generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place fish on a foil-lined broiler pan. Broil 5-10 minutes (depending on size and thickness of filets) or until desired degree of doneness is reached. Allow to rest while you toss other ingredients together.
- To the orzo, add the asparagus, red onion, olives and pepperoncini if using. Toss well. Add ¼ cup of feta cheese and toss to combine. Pour on a generous amount to balsamic vinaigrette and toss to coat well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Divide orzo between two plates or bowls and sprinkle with a bit more feta. Top each with a salmon filet. Drizzle with a bit of balsamic syrup (if using) and serve.