Orzo Salad - Garden to Table!

This salad is the perfect way to use cherry tomatoes from your garden if you grow them.  Or, visit your local farmers' market if you have one.  If you can get freshly grown local tomatoes they are the best!

We were served this salad at a friend's home in Georgia when we were there to visit last year she was kind enough to share the recipe with me. I made it for lunch today and it is as delicious as I remembered!

With grated lemon zest, cherry or grape tomatoes and fresh spinach and basil, it is full of fresh, healthy and tasty flavors. Two of my favorite things to grow in the summer are tomatoes and basil, a wonderful combination.

If you are craving salads like I am, I hope you give this one a try!

The original recipes does not call for Mediterranean Salt salt but I think it adds a wonderful flavor. I love using Sarah's Mediterranean Sea Salt.

Orzo Salad with Spinach, Tomatoes and Basil
Printable Recipe

Serves 4-6

1 lb of fresh spinach (baby or regular), washed, dried and stems removed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
The zest of 2 lemons
1 and 1/2 cups orzo, cooked according to package directions and drained
24 basil leaves, torn or thinly sliced
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt (or Mediterranean Sea Salt) and Pepper

Pile the spinach leaves into stacks and slice thinly into julienne strips. Prepare the basil leaves the same way. Halve the tomatoes and zest the lemons.

Cook the orzo.

Place the julienne spinach into a medium bowl, add the halved tomatoes and lemon zest. After the orzo is drained, add the hot, cooked orzo to the same bowl. The heat of the orzo will wilt the spinach and warm the tomatoes. Drizzle with the olive oil, add the sliced basil, season with salt and pepper to taste, toss and either serve immediately or refrigerate for later.

It tastes best served immediately but is still wonderful cold. This salad would also be wonderful with toasted pine nuts!