Best Southwestern Orzo Salad Recipes

Southwestern Orzo Salad Recipe - (4.3/5) image

Provided by Jaymers

Number Of Ingredients 15

For the Orzo Salad:
1-1/2 cups uncooked orzo
1 can (15-oz) sweet corn, drained and rinsed
1 can (15-oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 avocados, diced
2 scallions, sliced
grated parmesan cheese, optional
For the Dressing:
1/4 C fresh lemon juice
1/4 C fresh lime juice
1/4 C olive oil
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Steps:

1. Cook Orzo according to the directions on the box. 2. Remove from heat; drain and rinse with cold water. 3. Sauté scallions and tomatoes until fragrant and the tomatoes begin to wilt. Put in the fridge to cool. 4. In a large salad bowl, combine cooled orzo, sweet corn, black beans, tomatoes, and avocado chunks; set aside. 5. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together lemon juice, lime juice, olive oil, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. 6. Add as much dressing as you want to the prepared orzo salad. Refrigerate any remaining salad dressing. 7. Toss salad, cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes. 8. Garnish with parmesan cheese. 9.Serve.

Creamy Southwestern Orzo Salad image

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 0

Steps:

In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, buttermilk, ranch salad dressing mix, and taco seasoning. Place in fridge while you make the rest of the salad.Cook orzo as directed on package. Drain and rinse with cold waterMeanwhile, cut corn off cob into a large bowl. Add black beans, bell pepper, green onions, orzo and cheddar.Pour dressing over salad and stir to combine. Serve immediately or store covered in the fridge until ready to serve.

Southwestern orzo salad image

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 6

8-10 oz. orzo pasta (see notes)
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium zucchini, diced small
1 medium bell pepper (I prefer yellow or orange, but any color will do), diced small
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Creamy cilantro lime dressing (link to recipe below)

Steps:

Cook the orzo in salted water, according to package directions. In the meantime, add the chopped zucchini to a large bowl. Drain the orzo pasta and pour over the chopped raw zucchini in the bowl. This helps soften the zucchini slightly. Let the pasta cool. Once cooled, stir in the black beans, peppers and feta. You can refrigerate the salad at this point if you'd like. Make the easy creamy cilantro-lime dressing. If making ahead, store it separately. When ready to serve, stir the dressing into the salad, mixing well to combine. Season, to taste, with extra salt and black pepper. Serve the orzo salad cold or at room temperature with extra queso fresco crumbled on top.