My Orzo Pasta Salad with Olives, Tomatoes & Lemon Dressing is a fresh, easy side dish made with tender orzo, juicy tomatoes, olives, and a bright homemade lemon dressing. Perfect for picnics, family dinners, and even kid-friendly lunches.
Fresh Orzo Pasta Salad Everyone Loves
This is one of my favorite refreshing summer salads because it’s so simple to make and always disappears fast. My orzo pasta salad is loaded with juicy cherry tomatoes, olives, crunchy almonds, and a bright lemon dressing that keeps everything light and fresh. It makes a great dinner during the Summer months, but honestly, my kids love it so much that I pack it for camp lunches too. One batch gives us enough for two days of lunches—that’s six happy bellies!
This recipe was inspired by my Fresh Cherry Tomato Salad with Olives because my family can’t get enough of fresh tomatoes and olives together. If you’re looking for a pasta salad without mayonnaise, this is it. It’s light, colorful, easy to throw together, and tastes even better after it’s chilled for a bit.
Recipe Tips + Helpful Notes
- Orzo — Cook it until tender, then rinse under cold water so it cools quickly and doesn’t stick together.
- Cherry tomatoes — Sweet, juicy cherry tomatoes are my favorite, but grape tomatoes work just as well.
- Olives — I usually use green olives, but black olives or a mix of both are delicious too.
- Fresh lemon juice — Freshly squeezed gives the dressing the brightest flavor.
- Almonds — Wait until just before serving to stir them in so they stay nice and crunchy.
- Make ahead — This salad gets even better after hanging out in the fridge for a bit! Let it chill for at least 30 minutes so all the flavors come together. You can even make it the day before — just add the almonds right before serving so they keep their crunch.
Let’s Make My Orzo Pasta Salad!
Cook the orzo according to the package directions. Mine took about 12 minutes. After draining, rinse it under cold water until completely cooled — this stops the cooking and keeps the orzo from getting mushy!
Add the orzo to the bowl you’re going to serve it in. And then add in the tomatoes, olives and chopped green onions…
Make the lemon dressing!
And pour it on top.
Give it a good stir and then throw it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Right before serving, toss in some almonds to add crunch. Enjoy! This is one of my favorite Summer salads!
Storing Leftovers
Store leftover orzo pasta salad covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Give it a quick stir before serving. If it seems a little dry after chilling, add a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a drizzle of olive oil to freshen it up.
Pin for later:
Orzo Pasta Salad with Olives, Tomatoes & Lemon Dressing
PrintIngredients
For the salad
- 1 1/2 cups dry orzo pasta
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 cup sliced pitted olives green or black or mixture of both
- 1 green onion finely chopped
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
For the dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 small clove garlic finely minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cool water until cooled.
- In a large bowl, combine cooled orzo, cherry tomatoes, olives, and green onion.
- Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and cilantro.
- Pour dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated.
- Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavors blend.
- Just before serving, sprinkle in the almonds and toss lightly so they stay crunchy.
Leave a Comment