Easy Orzo Salmon Salad Recipe
Easy, light and flavorful! This will definitely become a family favorite!
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber peeled, halved, seeded and diced
- 4 plum tomatoes diced and drained (you can substitue halved cherry tomatoes for convenience if you like)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup orzo pasta (you can use whole wheat orzo pasta if you like)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 grated lemon (lemon zest)
- 1/3 cup fresh dill chopped
- 1 lb salmon fillets about 1 inch thick
- 1-2 cloves fresh garlic minced
- 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta OPTIONAL
Instructions
- Preheat the grill for the salmon.
- Boil 2 cups water on the stove and bring to a boil for the orzo. Cook orzo until just done (al dente), about 12 minutes, then rinse with cold water and drain.
- Placing a strainer over a bowl, toss cucumber, tomatoes, olives and 1/2 tsp salt and let drain for 20 minutes (It's tempting to skip this step, but don't! You don't want a lot of extra liquid in your salad.)
- Toss orzo with the 1/4 cup oil, 1/3 cup dill, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Coat salmon with 1 tbsp oil, and salt and pepper.
- Grill salmon skin-side up for 4 minutes. Turn and continue to grill about 3 minutes more until barely done. The salmon should be translucent in the center.
- Cool salmon for a bit, then add to the orzo mixture. It should flake easily and integrate into the salad.
- Optional: Mix crumbled feta into the salad.
- Serve room temp or chill in the refrigerator if you prefer a cold salad.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!