This Orzo Corn Salad with Cucumber Feta Dressing makes a great summer side.
I put a bit of a Mexican twist to it with jalapeno peppers and red pepper.
The base for the dressing is cucumber blended with Feta and lime juice. It is refreshing wlile the Feta and lime lend some salty tang.
The only salt in the recipe comes from the Feta so it actually ends up being low in sodium at 179 mg per serving.
Add a little protein on the side of this salad and your meal is complete. You have your starch in the pasta and 3 vegetables. I sometimes add a bit of green onion to it so you could easily have a 4th!
Chef's Tips for Orzo Corn Salad
- If it is corn season you may want to steam fresh corn and then cut the kernels off the cob. 1 ear of corn generally produces about 1 cup of kernels.
- If using frozen or canned corn -don't cook it. Just defrost or drain according to which one you use and add to the salad.
- You can make this as spicy as you like by retaining the jalapeno seeds and membrane for hotter and removing them for milder.
Wine Pairing for Orzo Corn Salad
A Sauvignon Blanc here would be nice. Also a summer Verdejo with a hint of salinity would go nicely.
A dry Rosé, Provence style, with a hint of herbs would also go nicely.
Orzo Corn Salad with Cucumber Feta Dressing
Ingredients
Dressing
- ½ cup crumbled feta divided ¼ +¼ cup
- 2 cups cucumber divided 1 cup + 1 cup
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lime-zest and juice reserve the zest for garnish on top of the salad
Salad
- ¾ cup uncooked orzo
- 2 cups sweet corn kernels steam fresh corn and cut kernels off the cob or use frozen or canned corn without cooking
- 1 medium jalapeno pepper
- ¼ cup sweet red pepper
- 2 green onions chopped (optional)
Instructions
Dressing
- Peel and seed the cucumber. Cut into 1" cubes. Add 1 cup to the blender for the dressing and reserve the other cup for the salad.
- Add ¼ cup of feta (reserve remainder for the salad) to the blender. Add 1 cup of cucumber, oil and lime juice in blender and blend until relatively smooth.
Salad
- Cook the orzo according to the package instructions. (Mine cooks for about 7 minutes). Drain and rinse.
- Mince the jalapeno pepper. (Remove seeds and white membrane if you don't want it to be too hot).
- Mince the red pepper.
- Add the orzo, corn, cucumber, feta, jalapeno and red pepper to ad large bowl. Stir to mix. Pour dressing over and stir again. Sprinkle the lime zest on top of the salad.
- Serve immediately.
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