Greek Orzo Salad with White Beans, Feta, and Fresh Herbs
This Greek Orzo Pasta Salad is packed with marinated white beans, olives, fresh herbs, tomatoes, and feta. It’s a light and flavorful salad that’s perfect as a side dish or a main.
We’re just back from our trip to Greece this summer, and I’m so excited to share some incredible Greek-inspired recipes with you– like this Greek orzo salad.
It’s one of those recipes that looks impressive, travels well, and tastes even better the next day, making it great for leftovers and potlucks. With marinated white beans, crisp cucumber, kalamata olives, fresh mint and dill, and creamy feta, it hits every note you want in a summer pasta salad—bright, savory, a little tangy, and completely satisfying.
It works as a side dish for grilled proteins, a make-ahead lunch, or a simple vegetarian main. See below for tips for success and more details, or scroll down for the full recipe card.
Why You’ll Love This Greek Orzo Salad
We ate so well on our Greece trip, especially when it came to salads. A daily Greek salad was a must, along with tomato fritters, stuffed grape leaves, grilled halloumi cheese, bulgur wheat salads, and plenty of fresh pasta salads like this one.
This Greek orzo salad is inspired by that trip. It’s make-ahead friendly as the flavor gets better as it sits for an hour or two, and incredibly easy to customize. Swap in herbs, beans or extra veggies depending on what you have on hand. You can add more or less of any ingredient– you really don’t even have to measure. If you like more tomatoes, add more tomatoes! Like more mint? Add more mint. Or less mint! This one is very adaptable to your preferences.
It’s also ready in just 35 minutes, making this one a quick side dish or picnic lunch.
Ingredients for Greek Orzo Salad
The secret for this orzo pasta salad is marinating the white beans first, then tossing them with the rest of the ingredients. This helps to infuse the canned beans and adds so much flavor to the overall pasta salad. I do the same thing in my lemon pasta salad, and it makes a huge difference in flavor!
- Orzo pasta: This is the base of the salad. Cook until just al dente so it holds its texture after tossing.
- White beans: Cannellini or great northern beans work well. These get marinated first, which is the secret to the salad’s depth of flavor. Chickpeas are a great substitute.
- Olive oil + red wine vinegar: This combo is the marinade base. Use a good quality extra-virgin olive oil here as it makes a difference, my favorites are Kosterina and California Ranch Olive Oil.
- Cherry tomatoes: In peak summer, any ripe tomato works.
- Feta cheese: buy block feta packed in brine (Greek or Israeli style, Trader Joe’s has the best price on these styles) and crumble it yourself. Pre-crumbled feta is noticeably drier and less flavorful.
- Persian or English cucumber: Peeled, seeded, and sliced thin. Their lower water content compared to other cucumbers keeps the salad from getting soggy.
- Fresh Herbs: The fresh dill and mint are my favorite herbs in this salad, but fresh parsley and basil can also be substituted.
How to Make Greek Orzo Salad (Step by Step)
Step 1: Marinate the white beans
Add the white beans into a large bowl (use the bowl you are planning on serving this in for ease), then add olive oil, vinegar, chopped shallot, dried oregano, and pepper. Let this sit for at least 30 minutes to infuse the flavor into the beans and take the bite out of the shallots.
Step 2: Cook the orzo
While the beans are marinating, prep the rest of the ingredients so you can easily assemble the salad. Chop the tomatoes, peel, seed and thinly slice the cucumbers, pit and slice the olives, chop the fresh herbs
Step 3: Prep the add-ins
Halve the cherry tomatoes, peel and slice the cucumber, pit and slice the olives, and tear or chop the fresh herbs. Add in all the ingredients to the marinated beans, along with the cooked orzo pasta. Taste, then adjust as needed, I find that this salad often wants a little more salt, a splash more vinegar, or an extra drizzle of olive oil before serving.
Serve this Greek orzo salad at room temperature for best flavor as olive oil firms up when chilled. If making ahead, pull it from the fridge 30 minutes before serving.
Variations and Substitutions
This greek orzo salad is so easy to adjust to what you have on hand. In place of white beans, use chickpeas. While the feta is admittedly Greek, you can omit it for a dairy-free version.
I like shallot as I think it has a more subtle flavor than red onion, but finely diced red onion will also work. Couscous, pearl couscous or another small pasta shape, or even couscous, will work in place of the orzo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make Greek orzo salad ahead of time?
For best results, marinate the beans and cook the orzo up to 24 hours ahead. Store separately and toss together 30–60 minutes before serving.
How long does Greek orzo salad keep in the fridge?
p to 3 days in an airtight container. The herbs will lose some brightness, but the flavors deepen nicely. I often re season and add a little vinegar, lemon juice or fresh herbs before serving.
Is orzo a pasta or a grain?
Orzo is pasta, made from semolina wheat. Its rice-like shape makes it ideal for salads because it stays tender without clumping.
What’s the best way to keep orzo salad from getting dry?
Rinse orzo after cooking to stop the starch from making it sticky, and don’t skip the olive oil in the marinade as it coats everything and keeps the salad moist.
Tips for the Best Greek Orzo Salad
- Don’t skip the bean marinade: This is the single most important step. It adds so much flavor to the beans and cuts down on any sharp bite from the raw shallots and garlic.
- Slightly undercook the orzo. It will continue to absorb the dressing as it sits. Al dente at cook time means perfect texture by the time you serve.
- Use block feta. I find that the difference between block feta in brine and pre-crumbled is significant. Block feta is creamier, saltier, and has a much better flavor.
- To serve ahead of time: You can marinate the beans and cook the orzo a day ahead. Chop the vegetables and herbs the morning of. Toss everything together right before serving for the freshest result.
- Season aggressively at the end: Pasta salads need more salt than you think. Taste and adjust before bringing it to the table.
How to Serve Greek Orzo Salad
- As a side: Alongside whatever else your are serving; it’s bright flavor is great alongside grilled foods.
- As a vegetarian main: the white beans and orzo add enough protein to make it a full meal
- For meal prep: this greek pasta salad stores well in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can re-dress it with a splash of olive oil and vinegar before serving.
- For potlucks and picnics: As this salad works well at room temperature, it’s great to bring for potlucks and get togethers.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
- Vegan Pasta Salad
- Chopped Italian Pasta Salad
- Lemon Pasta Salad
- Grilled Vegetable Orzo Pasta
- Cherry Caprese Pasta Salad
If you try this recipe, make sure to come back to leave a rating and a comment. Your feedback helps other readers, and seeing you make my recipes makes my day.
Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo
- 1 15 ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 cup thinly sliced cucumber
- 1/3 cup fresh torn mint leaves
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
Instructions
- Cook the orzo pasta according to package directions, then drain and rinse
- In a large bowl, combine the beans, olive oil, red wine vinegar, chopped shallot, garlic, oregano and pepper. Let marinate for 30 minutes.
- Add the orzo pasta along with the rest of the ingredients: cherry tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, cucumber, mint, and dill. Toss together. Taste and season as needed—add more salt, oil, and vinegar.
- Serve at room temperature.
I rarely comment on recipes but this pasta salad was so good I had to come back and share. Wow, my husband said this was the best pasta salad he’s ever had.
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