Cold Orzo Salad with Chickpeas and Pine Nuts
A 25-minute cold orzo salad with chickpeas, pine nuts, artichoke hearts, and salty feta. A little pop of briny capers makes it special. No oven required.
Servings: 4
Calories: 914kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb orzo pasta
- 2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 ½ cups chickpeas rinsed and drained (1 can, 15 oz / 400 g)
- 4 oz feta cheese crumbled or in small chunks
- 12 oz marinated artichoke hearts drained
- ½ cup pine nuts toasted
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 sprigs fresh parsley leaves only
- Pinch black pepper
- ⅔ cup sun-dried tomatoes sliced, optional
Instructions
- Cook the orzo: Fill a large pot with water. Bring it to a boil. Drop in the orzo, 1 tablespoon of oil, and the salt. Cook for 7 minutes. Stir once or twice so the orzo does not stick to the bottom.1 lb orzo pasta, 2 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Drain and cool (this makes it a cold orzo salad): Pour the orzo into a colander. Run cold water over it for 30 seconds. This stops the cooking and chills the pasta right away. Shake off the extra water. Move the orzo to a big serving bowl. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil on top. Stir and set aside.
- Chop the parsley: Put the parsley leaves in a food processor. Pulse 3 to 4 times until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.4 sprigs fresh parsley
- Add feta and artichoke hearts: Drop the feta pieces and drained artichoke hearts into the food processor. Pulse 2 times. You want small chunks, not a paste. Move this mixture to the bowl with the cold orzo.4 oz feta cheese, 12 oz marinated artichoke hearts
- Add the rest: Pour in the pine nuts, chickpeas, rinsed capers, lemon juice, and black pepper, and the sundried tomatoes if using. Stir everything together with a big spoon.1 ½ cups chickpeas, ½ cup pine nuts, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, Pinch black pepper, ⅔ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- Serve cold: Garnish with extra parsley leaves. Serve right away or put the bowl in the fridge for later. This cold orzo salad with chickpeas and pine nuts tastes even better after an hour in the fridge.
Notes
Rinse the capers under cold water before adding them to the salad. This removes extra salt so they do not overpower the feta and artichokes. Rinse the orzo with cold water after cooking to stop the starch from making the salad sticky. Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes. Watch them closely because they burn fast. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Add a splash of olive oil before serving if the salad seems dry.
Nutrition
Calories: 914kcal | Carbohydrates: 120g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 969mg | Potassium: 1189mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 1236IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 235mg | Iron: 7mg
