18 Reviews of Greek Style Orzo Salad With Balsamic Vinaigrette

From: A!

On Aug 1, 2005

As a vegetarian, i really enjoyed this recipe warm or cold, and it went over great at a company picnic. I doubled the recipe and made a few minor changes because of ingredients i had on hand. I used halved grape tomatoes, regular black olives and i used half orzo and half instant brown rice. Next time i would either eliminate or cut down on the mustard in the dressing as the mustard flavor seemed overpowering. Also i would start preparing the salad ingredients well before starting the orzo as i didn't notice the 'melting' effect. Orzo cooks quickly and it took a while to cut the tomatoes and prepare the dressing. I would certainly make this again. Thanks for sharing!

From: Kumquat the Cat's friend

On Jul 22, 2005

Excellent vinaigrette, paired with feta cheese and pasta was outstanding. I drained the pasta well but it was still very moist (the nature of orzo I guess) and it served to mellow out the intense taste of the vinaigrette. I would want to add more tomatoes to this salad next time. Very tasty both warm and cold. Cheese melted as per description. Very quick & easy too. I made with low-fat feta, reduced oil to about 1 tablespoon and had about 3 tablespoons dressing left over. I could see adding all of the dressing to this salad and would certainly recommend using the dressing in recipes that call for a vinaigrette.

From: Chef Schmitty

On Jul 26, 2005

This dish has such a unique and bold flavor! The tang of the vinegar, salty olives, zip of the dijon, and texture of the chickpeas combine together to offer a taste unlike anything I've ever had.

From: Gay Gilmore

On Nov 2, 2006

I think this could use more fresh tomatoes and less balsamic. It really is just too sour with the vinegar, mustard and olives. Perhaps I use a high quality of each and so they have a stronger flavor than most? These are all flavors I love individually, and I love orzo! Will make again with adjustments.

From: acerast

On Jul 9, 2005

This recipe truly is delicious at several temperatures, warm, room-temperature or chilled. The the creamy texture and intense flavor went well with warm pita and grilled chicken. I especially like the simplicity of this recipe; I usually have all of the ingredients on hand. Both DH and my FIL have requested that I make this again and I will certainly do so! Thank you for sharing.

From: PaulaG

On Jul 19, 2005

Excellent! A wonderful blending of flavors. Served it at room temeperature on top of salad greens.

From: Kree

On Jul 7, 2005

This is flavorful and fantastic. I tried it warm and cold and enjoyed it both ways. I've made RSC recipes in the past that were decent, but I wasn't sure that I'd ever make them again. This one, one other hand, I KNOW I'll make again. The only changes I made were to omit the olives based on personal preference and use soy feta cheese. I didn't use all the dressing at first, but reserved the rest. It's a good thing I did, because after the salad cooled it clumped together a little and I ended up adding a little bit more. Thanks for a refreshing summer salad!

From: Happy Harry #2

On Jul 29, 2005

My Goodness! This is REALLY great. Just finished making this for dinner tonite. I tasted for seasoning before stashing it in the fridge. WOW!, I ate at least four tbls. full before I stopped....and that was my breakfast! If it "calls me" for lunch, I'll just have to make some more!

From: annroberts54

On Jun 19, 2006

I made this this weekend and loved it. I had to use brown rice as I have looked everywhere and can not find orzo. I hated pitting and slicing the Kalamata olives but that is not your fault!! Today I found pitted Kalamata olives and had to buy them for next time. I loved the taste of the dijon with the balsamic vinegar-I would have never thought of it myself but may try it in some other things it is so good!!

From: Lorianne1

On Jul 8, 2005

Made this recipe as directed. It was easy to make and makes a good summer salad.