Vegan Orzo Pasta Salad with Arugula and Meyer Lemon Dressing
Posted By Savita
Sharing with you a lite and fit vegan orzo pasta and wild arugula salad dressed in a simple meyer lemon dressing!
Meyer lemon is one of my favorite citrus and I love grabbing some whenever these are in season. Their sweet and sour taste is really unique, kinda combination of navel orange and lemon. No kidding, I use it in everything from cakes to lemonades, you name it!
No one likes whole wheat pasta in my home..... but I still bought a packet to use it somehow instead of white flour pasta. Picky eaters in home are fan of crunchy celery and peppery arugula. So, today's salad was an attempt to keep every one happy. I'm happy because this salad has almost 4 servings of vegetables and greens, plus whole wheat pasta. My picky eater happy because it is pasta, and has ton of crunch from fresh celery, bell peppers, color and sweetness of pom seeds, and subtle flavor of sweet 'n sour meyer lemon dressing!
total win-win! and salad looks so scrumptious and clean!! Isn't it?
I love-love foods that can keep health and picky eaters on same page!!!
feel like to say...... Oh beautiful salad 'I love you!'
However, this is a very versatile salad too, easy to adapt to any available ingredients! Let me share with you how:
1. Instead of Orzo, you can use cooked long grain rice or any small semolina pasta too for this salad.
2. Instead of arugula, you can use fresh baby spinach or watercress also taste great. Only one condition, chop it well. Long stems of greens in this salad are never appealing!
3. Instead of yellow pepper, use three color or any bell peppers or even sweet pepper.
4. Instead of meyer lemon, or if you can't find meyer lemon, use equal parts lemon and navel orange juice.
5. Can't find pom seeds, use black sweet seedless grapes or blueberries!
6. This salad is VEGAN, but you can add 1/4 cup of goat cheese (crumbled) or feta for some extra oomph!
7. This salad is not gluten free, but if you decide to use rice, then it will be gluten free also. Just don't use cheese if using rice, that won't taste good.
Keeping today's post super simple just like this clean salad :)
I hope you enjoy it because I'm drooling looking at these pictures! wanna make it again! soon!
Have a great day!
Cheers!
~Savita
Ingredients
- Meyer Lemon Dressing
- 2 Meyer Lemon (to get 1 teaspoon zest, and 3 tbsp juice)
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- Salt (as per taste)
- Orzo Arugula Salad
- 1/2 lbs Orzo Pasta (dried, whole wheat orzo pasta, cooking instructions below)
- 1 Bunch Arugula (wild arugula, 2 cup or 2 big handfuls when chopped)
- 1 Bell Pepper (yellow colored, chopped on bias)
- 1-2 Celery (stalks, chopped on bias)
- 1/2 Cup Pomegranates (seeds)
Directions
- 1. Bring a pot of water to rolling boil, season with salt. Add orzo pasta and cook until al dente (whole wheat orzo that I used cook just right in 9-10 minutes.)
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2. While pasta is cooking, in a small bowl, add all dressing ingredients. Mix with whisk to emulsify oil with meyer lemon juice and set aside. Also chop celery, bell pepper, and arugula Additional Notes:
I like arugula a little bite-size in this salad. Whole long stems of arugula does not work for me. So chop it if you like or keep it as-is. -
3. When pasta has cooked, drain pasta and transfer to a clean wide salad bowl. Add half of the dressing and mix well. Set aside to cool completely. -
4. Once pasta has cooled to touch, add chopped bell pepper, celery, and pom seeds to the orzo pasta with remaining dressing. Toss to combine. Add chopped arugula and gently toss to get everything in even proportion. Serve chilled or at room temperature!
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