MAKE AHEAD GREEK ORZO SALAD

Make Ahead Greek Orzo Salad image

Provided by Marianneee

Categories Greek

Time 20m

Yield 10-12 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 lb orzo pasta
1 lb feta
6 -7 ounces kalamata olives (about 6.5 oz of actual olives)
12 -16 ounces Baby Spinach
10 -15 large basil leaves (can leave out)
1/2-1 whole red onion, diced (add as much as you like)
5 fresh mint leaves (can leave out)
1 cup lemon juice, fresh
1 cup olive oil (I put 1/2c of olive oil and 1/2c of the oil from the olive jar)
1/2-1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper

Steps:

Prepare salad dressing.
Roll the basil and mint into a cigar like roll and slice thin as you can.
Dice the red onion.
Cook the orzo until it is al dente, about 9 minutes and drain.
While it is still hot stir in the salad dressing, then 1/2 of the crumbled feta.
Next stir in the spinache, mint/basil, olives and red onions. You do not need to chop the spnache as the heat from the pasta will wilt it.
Let it sit for a couple of hours, or even better over night.
Before you serve it, stir in the remaining feta and re-adjust the salt and pepper. If it seems a little dry add some olive oil.
Note: Go light on the salt as the feta is salty and you will be adding feta at 2 different times.