Greek Chicken Orzo Salad

Good news my friends, spring has sprung! And there is nothing that I would enjoy more than spending time outdoors, sitting on a blanket and eating a nice refreshing pasta salad. This Greek Chicken Orzo Salad is the perfect dish to enjoy for picnics. Not only is this dish flavorful, it is also colorful.

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I was totally convinced after I tested their product; it was the best chicken I have had in a while. It reminded me of chicken that I grew up eating in my country. Food is medicine, my friends, thus make the right choice! Enjoy the recipe below and click the link in my bio to order the best chicken.

INGREDIENTS

Orzo Pasta- Orzo Pasta is a type of pasta that has the shape of rice grains. It is however much larger and is also known as risoni. The whole wheat version of this pasta contains more protein and fibre than the regular one and both may be used in various dishes in place of rice.

Chicken Breast- Chicken breast is one of the healthier parts of the chicken due to the reduced fat content and given that it is rich in protein. Purchasing boneless chicken breast from Pasturebird is a great choice due to these birds being raised organically.

Feta Cheese- This cheese is a Greek cheese that is made from the milk of sheep or goats.

Kalamata Olives- These olives are native to Greece and are dark purple or dark brown in colour. They have a smooth, meaty texture.

What can you eat Greek Chicken Orzo Salad with?

This salad may be consumed alone as it has the right mix of nutrients. It is also really a complete meal so it is perfect for lunch or dinner. A honey and herb vinaigrette is perfect to give this dish the right balance of sweet and savoury. 

Another great way to enjoy this dish is by adding the salad to croissants to make sandwiches. This is a great way to use up any leftovers you may have or just to change things up a bit.

Greek Chicken Orzo Salad Variations

Instead of baking the chicken, it could be cut into strips and grilled. You could also replace the chicken with some chickpeas or turkey breast. Greek Orzo Salad may also be prepared using spinach and or/pine nuts. 

If you are in a hurry and do not have time to cook the chicken, you may opt to use store-bought rotisserie chicken. To make things a bit easier you could also prepare the chicken overnight.

To put a twist to this recipe, you may add grapes, celery and some mayonnaise and toss it all together. However you decide on preparing this salad, you are guaranteed to enjoy it.

Storing Greek Chicken Orzo Salad

The salad may be kept fresh in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. In fact, it can be argued that the more chilled this dish is, the tastier it becomes so you may want to chill it overnight before serving.

Tips

1. Draining and rinsing the Orzo after it is cooked will prevent it from sticking together.
2. The salad is very filling so do not make too much at once if you are not serving several people.

Prep time: 10 minutes|Cook time: 20 minutes|Yields: 4 servings

Chicken Breast

1 pack boneless chicken breast @pasturebird

Olive oil

Salt

Black pepper

Paprika

Oregano

Orzo Salad

2 cups of boiled orzo pasta

1 cup cherry tomatoes

½ red onion diced

1 cup kalamata olives

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Fresh mint chopped

Fresh dill chopped

For the dressing

½ cup olive oil

Juice from 1 lemon

Salt and black pepper

Instructions

Chicken

-Remove chicken from the casing.

-Preheat the oven to 450° F.

-Rub olive oil and spices onto chicken

-Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until temperature reaches 160° F

-Let it cool for 5 minutes before cutting

Orzo salad

-In a bowl combine all ingredients for the salad

-Add dressing and mix well

-Add your chicken and serve (option-you can cut the chicken and mix with the salad before adding the dressing into the salad.

-Enjoy!