Summer Orzo Salad

Summer Orzo Salad

Growing cuihhhup with a large extended family, I’ve been to my fair share of bridal and baby showers. For anyone who’s never been to one of these exclusive ladies-only affairs it goes something like this:
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Ladies in cute outfits + cocktails + heaping amounts of gossip + gift galore + FOOD!

The tricky part of this equation is the food. Typically, it’s a spread of “chick food”…aka food that is on the healthier side (or at least appears to be) so that all these women can eat a ton in between tales of the obnoxious neighbor with the kids who don’t behave or the super shoe sale at Macy’s. Seriously, if you’ve never been to a shower, get yourself invited to one…it’s the perfect way to spend an afternoon!

Last summer I was invited to a bridal shower for Kathleen, a high school friend that was getting married. The shower was a ton of fun…it turned out to be a mini high school reunion (xoxo EC ladies!) with pink champagne cocktails and amazing food. Seriously, Mrs. O’Connell (the mother of the bride) truly outdid herself! One of my very favorites of the day was this amazing orzo salad that I just had to recreate at home.
Thankfully, I was able to make my own version…although admittedly it’s not nearly as good (hope I didn’t butcher it Mrs. O’Connell!) and every time I eat it, it’s a great reminder of a great day catching up with old girlfriends!

Making the recipe

This is a perfect recipe for summer entertaining. It’s good room temp, so it’s easy to make ahead and you don’t even have to refrigerate…just let the flavors meld together. NOTE: I’m pretty sure Mrs. O’Connell had some grilled chicken in her salad. Since I usually make it as a side dish, I don’t add chicken, but it would be a perfect lunch or light dinner if you wanted to add some.

The results

For me, this is the PERFECT salad…it’s simple and light, yet super tasty! Whenever I make it, I usually start off by sneaking a bite. That bite usually turns into a mugful, and sometimes a second mugful.

Seriously…it’s THAT good. Brett will eat this, but he has to pick around the zucchini. Adela loves it, Bodie will pick at it.

The recipe

½ box orzo
1 large zucchini, chopped
1 large squash, chopped
1 large clove of garlic, chopped
3 scallions, chopped
1 cup of grape tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
Zest and juice of two lemons
1 container of feta cheese (I used the garlic and herb flavored one. Btw…I have no idea how much comes in these containers)
4 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

Cook the orzo according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add the squash, zucchini and garlic, stirring. Cook until the veggies start to soften 5-7 minutes.

Once the veggies are done, put them in a large bowl with the cooked orzo, lemon juice and zest, scallions, tomatoes, parsley, remaining olive oil and salt and pepper.

Stir together and let sit at least 30 minutes before serving.
*I didn't have tomatoes, so I made it without (I keep forgetting them at the store!)...it's much better with them!