Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp

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This Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp is bright, lemony, packed with herbs, and incredibly hearty and filling. It comes together in under 40 minutes and with simple ingredients like orzo, shrimp, fresh herbs and vegetables.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean

Servings: People

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $20

Ingredients

For the Orzo

1 cup Dry Orzo
Salt for the pasta water
1 tbsp Olive oil

For the Shrimp

1 lb Large shrimp - Peeled and deveined
1½ tbsp Olive oil
2 tbsp Lemon juice
1 tbsp Lemon zest
2 Garlic cloves (minced)
½ tsp Dry oregano
½ tsp Smoked paprika
½ tsp Kosher salt
¼ tsp Black pepper

For the Lemon Vinaigrette

3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tbsp Lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Garlic clove (grated)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Salad

1 cup Cucumber (diced)
1 cup Cherry tomatoes (halved)
¼ Small red onion (thinly sliced)
2 tbsp Fresh parsley (chopped)
2 tbsp Fresh dill (chopped)
¼ cup Kalamata olives (sliced)
¼ cup Feta cheese (crumbled) - Optional

Instructions

Cook the Orzo. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook until just al dente according to package directions. Drain well and transfer to a large serving bowl. Toss with olive oil to prevent sticking and let cool slightly.
Season the Shrimp. In a bowl, toss the shrimp with olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
Cook the Shrimp. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook for 1½–2 minutes per side, until pink, opaque, and just cooked through. Remove from heat immediately to avoid overcooking.
Make the Vinaigrette. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, grated garlic, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
Assemble the Salad. To the bowl with the cooked orzo, add cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, parsley, dill, olives, and feta (if using). Top with the cooked shrimp.
Toss and Serve. Drizzle with the lemon vinaigrette and gently toss until everything is evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning with more lemon, salt, or pepper as needed. Serve slightly warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Notes

Refer to the post above if you need step-by-step photos, tips or more information.

Key Ingredient Notes:

Orzo: A rice-shaped pasta that gives this salad body; you can substitute with small pasta like ditalini or even pearl couscous.
Large Shrimp: I prefer use larger shrimp in this recipe, just because they are meatier and more satisfying. Frozen, uncooked shrimp are ideal. Don’t use pre-cooked shrimp here, as maintaining and cooking them a second time will turn them tough.
Cucumbers: I recommend using Persian cucumbers here. If you only have a large English cucumber, I suggest peeling it and removing some of the seed cavity to avoid having a watery salad.
Cherry Tomatoes: I like the addition of sliced cherry or grape tomatoes. Don’t use large slicer tomatoes; they will just make the salad wet and messy.
Fresh Herbs: A combination of fresh parsley and fresh dill give this salad a vibrancy that’s unmistakably Eastern Mediterranean.
Olives: I almost always reach for Kalamata Olives. You can use pitted olives. Or use whole olives and remove the pits yourself. I find whole olives taste better than pitted olives, but that’s just a personal preference, and you do what works best for you!
Feta Cheese: Greek feta cheese is the way to go! It’s creamy and the sourness really plays nicely with the sweetness from the other ingredients. You can certainly use goat cheese here too, but creamy and salty Feta just makes sense.

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