Truth be told, I learned something about myself today. I don’t know how to spell the word Mediterranean. I tried many times. Is it two d’s? Two t’s? Heck I have no clue, I still don’t think I could spell it right if I wanted to! I’m not even convinced Google knows how to spell it. Thank you auto-correct! Regardless, that doesn’t take away from how much I love this pasta salad! *Insert blogger sales pitch about how amazing this pasta salad is* The orzo, the feta, the veggies, the beans, the salty sweetness, I mean really it is just a party in a bowl all around. I searched high and low for whole wheat orzo because I wrongly assumed it was a thing. Why wouldn’t every grocery store carry it? We are living in 2014, you know… the future, where people have woken up to the fact that the bleaching and enriching process is poo-poo! Thankfully, my search ended at Wegman’s where I ran into a box of whole wheat orzo and the rest is history.
I have been making pasta salads all summer because they are quick, easy, and able to pack protein and veggies. I love putting pasta salads over spinach or greens and eating it for lunch (no dressing required). My lunch is usually just shoving some food in my face because I’m too busy feeding hungry boys to even think about what I am eating. Even though I’m home with them I can relate to the people at day jobs who feel too busy to eat and a lunch like this is a great solution. You don’t have to fiddle around with those stupid plastic dressing containers, or a bunch of baggies. Throw some spinach and pasta salad in a container and you have a meal in a bowl. One bowl, one spoon/fork and there you have it!
The dressing for this salad is a mix of a few bold flavors, which is what makes is so good! Whole grain mustard, tomato paste, and red wine vinegar come together to create the perfect companion for olives and feta. My husband’s grandparents hooked us up with some yellow tomatoes and they were super sweet and complimented the saltiness of this salad perfectly. If you can’t find a sweeter tomato, I would suggest adding a few extra sun dried tomatoes, or even a handful of dried cranberries to give the salad a nice balance.
I struggled with what to call this flavor bomb, but I think Mediterranean White Bean and Orzo Salad about sums it up, right? Sheesh I really need to start getting more creative but it seemed better then “The Best EVER Pasta Salad Recipe!” agreed? 😉
0
Mediterranean Orzo and White Bean Salad
By Published: August 12, 2014
- Yield: 5-6 Servings
- Prep: 25 mins
Truth be told, I learned something about myself today. I don't know how to spell the word Mediterranean. I tried many times. Is …
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat orzo
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp whole grain mustard if you don't have that on hand you can use dijon
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp pink himalayan or kosher salt
- 1 can great northern beans
- 4 ounces feta cheese
- 1 cucumber roughly chopped
- 4-5 sun dried tomatoes Look for sulfer free!
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives
- 1 container cherry tomatoes
- fresh parmesan cheese optional topping
Instructions
- Cook orzo according to package directions and run under cold water after draining.
- Mix together vinegar, oil, mustard, tomato paste, and seasonings. Chop veggies. Drain beans and rinse. Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to enjoy.
