CHERRY TOMATO ORZO SALAD

FROM SIMPLY RECIPES

We found this recipe for a summer time dairy salad on the web. We loved it- hope you do, too!

Cherry Tomato Orzo Salad Recipe
* Prep time: 25 minutes
* Cook time: 15 minutes

Do not refrigerate the tomatoes ahead of time. Doing so will hurt the flavor of the tomatoes and can make the texture mealy.
Ingredients

* 8 ounces orzo pasta
* Salt
* 1 pint red cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
* 1 pint yellow cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
* 1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
* 2 green onions, thinly sliced
* 2 Tbsp minced fresh oregano
* Juice of a lemon
* Black pepper to taste

Method

1 Bring a large pot of well salted water to a rolling boil. Add the orzo, stirring it so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Cook, uncovered, at a high boil until al dente, cooked through but still a bit firm. Drain the pasta (it helps to use a fine mesh sieve for this as the small orzo might pass through holes in a colander), and rinse with cold water to stop the pasta from cooking further.

2 Toss the pasta with the olive oil in a large bowl. At this point you can make ahead and chill until you are ready to serve (or transport to a party). Toss with the rest of the ingredients, the tomatoes, feta cheese, cucumber, green onions, oregano, lemon juice, and black pepper. The feta is salty so you shouldn’t need to add more salt.

Yield: Serves 8-10 as a side.