Spinach and Orzo Salad

Name: Spinach and Orzo Salad
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 227 grams orzo pasta; 1 serving Salt; 59 milliliters pine nuts; 170 grams feta cheese, roughly crumbled; 57 grams Kalamata Greek olives pitted, roughly chopped, about 1/2 cup (about 20 olives); 113 grams baby spinach; 118 milliliters chopped red onion (about half a red onion); 3 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil; 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar; 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar (can substitute white vinegar or lemon juice); 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 1 pinch Pinch dried basil; 1 pinch Pinch dried tarragon; 1 serving Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Spinach and Orzo Salad requires approximately 35 minutes from start to finish. This recipe covers 26% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. This recipe makes 4 servings with 514 calories, 16g of protein, and 29g of fat each. It works well as an affordable main course. If you have balsamic vinegar, kalamata greek olives, pine nuts, and a few other ingredients on hand, you can make it. Spinach Orzo Salad, Spinach and Orzo Salad, and Spinach and Orzo Salad are very similar to this recipe.

Instructions

Cook the orzo pasta: Bring to a pot of salted water to a rolling boil (1 Tbsp of salt for every 2 quarts of water).

Ingredients you will need

Orzo

Water

Salt

Equipment you will use

Pot

Add the orzo to the pot. Leave uncovered, cook on high heat with a vigorous boil for 8-10 minutes until al dente (cooked, but still a little firm).

Ingredients you will need

Orzo

Equipment you will use

Pot

Drain. Rinse with cold water to cool quickly.

Ingredients you will need

Water

Toast the pine nuts: Toast the pine nuts by heating a small skillet on medium heat.

Ingredients you will need

Pine Nuts

Toast

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Add the pine nuts and stir occasionally until the pine nuts are lightly browned. Pay attention or you'll burn the pine nuts.

Ingredients you will need

Pine Nuts

Purée half the spinach with 1 Tbsp olive oil, mix with orzo: Take half of the spinach and purée it in a food processor or blender, adding one tablespoon of the olive oil. In a large serving bowl mix the spinach purée olive oil mixture in with cooked orzo until the pasta is well coated with the purée.

Ingredients you will need

Orzo

Olive Oil

Spinach

Pasta

Equipment you will use

Food Processor

Blender

Bowl

Mix onion, feta, pine nuts, olives, remaining spinach with the orzo: Roughly chop the other half of the spinach. Then gently mix the spinach, the red onion, feta cheese, pine nuts, and the Kalamata olives in with the orzo.

Ingredients you will need

Kalamata Olives

Feta Cheese

Pine Nuts

Red Onion

Spinach

Olives

Onion

Orzo

Make dressing: In a small jar, combine the remaining olive oil (2 Tbsp), balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, mustard, dried basil, and dried tarragon. Put a lid on the jar and shake to combine. (You can also just whisk together these ingredients in a small bowl, but the jar method works great to get a good emulsion.)

Ingredients you will need

Balsamic Vinegar

Red Wine Vinegar

Dried Tarragon

Dried Basil

Olive Oil

Shake

Mustard

Equipment you will use

Whisk

Bowl

Pour over orzo spinach mixture and gently mix in until well incorporated.

Ingredients you will need

Spinach

Orzo

Chill for at least an hour before serving.

Equipment

Ingredients

Servings:

feta cheese, roughly crumbled 57grams

Kalamata Greek olives pitted, roughly chopped, about 1/2 cup (about 20 olives)113grams

baby spinach 118milliliters

chopped red onion (about half a red onion)3Tbsps

extra virgin olive oil 1Tbsp

balsamic vinegar 1Tbsp

red wine vinegar (can substitute white vinegar or lemon juice)1teaspoon

Dijon mustard 1pinch

Pinch dried basil 1pinch

Pinch dried tarragon 1serving

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Recommended wine: Chardonnay, Gruener Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc

Chardonnay, Gruener Veltliner, and Sauvignon Blanc are great choices for Salad. Sauvignon Blanc and Gruner Veltliner both have herby notes that complement salads with enough acid to match tart vinaigrettes, while a Chardonnay can be a good pick for creamy salad dressings. The A to Z Chardonnay with a 4.2 out of 5 star rating seems like a good match. It costs about 15 dollars per bottle.