Orzo Salad With Feta

Total Time: 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 16 ounces uncooked orzo pasta, prepared according to directions, drained and cooled (be sure to salt water before adding orzo)
• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons flavorful extra virgin olive oil
• 1 -2 dash red wine vinegar
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 red onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup black olives, pitted, halved, rinsed, well drained (good quality olives, such as kalamata)
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
• 1 cup firm feta cheese, cubed
• 1/4-1 teaspoon salt (according to taste)
• pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
• garlic, crushed (1/2 clove) (optional)

Recipe

• 1 in a large glass bowl, mix the cooked orzo (which has been drained and cooled to just above room temperature) with the mayonnaise. stir in olive oil and mix well. add a dash of vinegar and stir. (if using crushed garlic, mix in now.).
• 2 stir in all the chopped ingredients, adding the cheese last (to keep it from crumbling too much during mixing).
• 3 add a little pepper and stir. taste the mixture before deciding how much salt to add (some brands and varieties of olives are much saltier than others).
• 4 for the best flavor, refrigerate this for a few hours and then let come to room temperature before serving.
• 5 note: if the salad seems too dry before serving, add a little more mayo, a drop of red wine vinegar and a tablespoon or two of milk. adjust the salt, if needed.
• 6 to try: i haven't tried it yet but i'm thinking that this recipe might be good with plain greek yogurt substituted for some of the mayo mixture, a sprig or two of mint finely chopped with the parsley and the addition of half a peeled and chopped english cucumber.