Lemon Cucumber Orzo Salad

Name: Lemon Cucumber Orzo Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces orzo ((gluten-free if needed)); 2 cups cucumber (diced (Persian or English, if available)); ¼ cup fresh mint leaves (chopped); 3 Tablespoons olive oil; 3 Tablespoons lemon juice ((from approximately 1 lemon)); 1 Tablespoon lemon zest ((from approximately 1 lemon)); salt (to taste)

Light and refreshing Cucumber Orzo Salad is easy to make in 20 minutes with only 5 ingredients. Fresh lemon and mint are the perfect seasonings for this summery pasta salad. Enjoy it as a side dish or main meal.

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Special diet: gluten-free option, nut-free, soy-free, vegan

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When the weather warms up, there's nothing like a delicious pasta salad. Some of my favorites are made with rice-shaped orzo pasta, like Greek-inspired orzo salad and spinach and sun-dried tomato orzo salad.

While I often enjoy them as a complete meal, Cucumber Orzo Salad makes a great simple side dish. It pairs well with sandwiches, grilled vegan dishes, and more.

But it's also easy to turn it into a main meal by adding your favorite beans or other protein. Any way you decide to make it, this Mediterranean-inspired, lemony orzo pasta salad is sure to be a hit!

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Why you'll love this recipe
Ingredients
Variations
Instructions
Amy's tip
Serving suggestions
Storing
Recipe FAQs
More vegan orzo recipes
📋 Recipe
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Why you'll love this recipe

It's ready to eat in 20 minutes and only requires 5 ingredients, plus salt.
There's no need to chill it in the fridge before enjoying. In fact, it tastes the best as soon as it's made!
It's perfect as a side dish but can also be turned into a complete meal.

Ingredients

Persian cucumbers, a lemon, a bunch of fresh mint, a bag of orzo pasta, a salt shaker, and a bottle of olive oil on a cutting board.

Cucumbers: Look for smaller, thin skinned Persian cucumbers, if available. English cucumbers are a good substitution. If you can only find regular cucumbers, you may want to peel them and/or scoop out the seeds before dicing.
Lemon: Fresh lemon is best for this recipe since you'll need both the zest and the juice.
Mint: Opt for fresh mint, not dried. (Have extra mint? Use it to make vegan herbed yogurt sauce, Greek black eyed pea salad, or Moroccan carrot salad.)
Orzo pasta: If you follow a gluten-free diet, I recommend DeLallo Gluten-Free Orzo which is made with a blend of rice and corn.

Variations

Use other fresh herbs such as basil, parsley, or dill (or a combination)
Add chickpeas or white beans
Toss in vegan feta cheese crumbles or cubes of tofu feta
Add additional vegetables like cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, or red onions
Throw in some Kalamata olives or pine nuts

For the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Bowl of Vegan Tomato Basil Cucumber Salad with Tofu Feta.

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Instructions

Ingredients in a mixing bowl and the tossed salad.

Cook the orzo until tender according to the package directions, then rinse under cold water until cool. Place the pasta in a large mixing bowl with the other ingredients.
Toss everything together until well combined. Enjoy right away for best flavor and texture, or refrigerate for later.

Amy's tip

Don't forget to zest the lemon before squeezing out the juice!

Serving suggestions

If you're looking for a versatile side dish, you'll love this Cucumber Orzo Salad.

It pairs well with other salads like pesto chickpea salad or lentil and sun-dried tomato salad.

And it's wonderful with everything from chickpea veggie burgers to teriyaki grilled tofu kabobs to pesto tofu nuggets.

Storing

Cucumber Orzo Salad is best enjoyed the day it's made. Leftovers will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not freeze.

Recipe FAQs

Does orzo taste like rice?

While orzo is shaped like rice, it's actually a shape of pasta and tastes the same as other pasta shapes.

Is lemon zest just peel?

The zest is the yellow part of the lemon peel. It has an intense lemony flavor. Use a microplane or fine grater to remove the zest. Be careful to avoid the white pith underneath since it's quite bitter.

Are you supposed to remove cucumber seeds?

When using the thinner Persian or English cucumbers, it's not necessary to peel them or remove the seeds before dicing. But if you can only find larger, thicker skinned cucumbers, you may want to peel them and discard the seeds by slicing the cucumbers lengthwise and scooping out the seeds with a spoon.