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Bright, fresh, and easy to make, this lemon orzo chickpea salad bursts with flavor from a lively lemon garlic dressing. It’s a vegan, quick, and colorful salad perfect for spring and summer meals, with creamy chickpeas, crunchy almonds, fresh veggies, and herbs.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/2 cups dry orzo
  • 1/2 medium cucumber, deseeded and cubed
  • 1/4 medium red onion, finely diced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • Handful chopped parsley, minced
  • Zest of one lemon (optional)
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1–2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 tbsp agave syrup
  • 1/4 tsp dry basil
  • 1/4 tsp dry oregano

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and generously salt it.
  2. Cook the orzo in the boiling water according to package directions until al dente.
  3. Drain the orzo but do not rinse; set aside and keep warm.
  4. Peel (optional), deseed, and cube the cucumber.
  5. Halve the cherry tomatoes.
  6. Finely dice the red onion.
  7. Rinse and drain the canned chickpeas.
  8. Chop the parsley and zest one lemon.
  9. Whisk together olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, crushed garlic, agave, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper in a jar or bowl until smooth.
  10. In a large bowl combine warm orzo, chickpeas, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, sliced almonds, nutritional yeast, parsley, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes.
  11. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently until well coated.
  12. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
  13. Chill the salad in the fridge for at least 1 hour to let the flavors meld.

Notes

Salting the pasta water adds great flavor; don’t skip this step., Do not rinse the orzo after cooking to keep the starches that help the dressing stick., Chill the salad at least 1 hour before serving for best flavor., For gluten free, swap orzo with quinoa, gluten-free pasta, or chickpea rice., Use maple syrup instead of agave if preferred., Swap chickpeas with white beans, tofu, or plant-based meat alternatives., Replace almonds with pepitas, hemp hearts, or sunflower seeds.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://mamapantry.com/lemon-orzo-chickpea-salad-healthy-easy-to-make-plant-based-rd/