Orzo Pesto Salad
This light and refreshing Orzo Pesto Salad is full of healthy flavors. It is filled with corn, sweet peas, red peppers and mint and topped with a White Balsamic Dressing and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Use nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan for a delicious vegan and dairy free option!
Ingredients
- 16 oz Dry Orzo
- 2 Raw Corn on the Cobs, cut kernels off (about 1 cup of kernels)
- 1 Large Red Bell Pepper, diced
- 2 Cups Sweet Peas cut in half inch pieces
- ½ ounce Fresh Mint leaves, Julienned
- 1 Cup Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or ½ Cup nutritional yeast for a vegan and dairy free option)
Pistachio Mint Pesto
- ½ Cup shelled Pistachios
- 2 Cups Fresh Mint Leaves (about 2 ounces)
- ½ Cup Olive Oil
White Balsamic Dressing
- 1 Cup Canola or Olive Oil
- ⅓ Cup White Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 Garlic Clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Orzo Pesto Salad
- Boil the Orzo for 9 minutes, or according to the directions on the package
- Drain and rinse with cold water and place in a large salad bowl.
- Add ½ Cup Pistachio Mint Pesto to orzo and toss to mix it in.
- Add the peas, corn, peppers and mint to the salad.
- Add ½ Cup of White Balsamic Dressing and Parmesan (or Nutritional yeast) and toss gently.
- Taste and if you prefer more dressing, add more dressing to your desired amount.
- Serve and enjoy! ♥️
Pistachio Mint Pesto
- Combine Pistachios and Mint in food processor or Vitamix and blend until coarsely chopped.
- Slowly drizzle Olive Oil in with machine running.
- Season with salt to taste.
White Balsamic Dressing
- Combine all ingredients in a jar, bottle or bowl and whisk or shake to combine.
Notes
Notes:
- To make this salad vegan and dairy free, simply leave out the parmesan cheese and use nutritional yeast instead!
- You can find the full recipe for the Pistachio Mint Pesto here!
- As in all recipes, please feel free to adapt it to your palate. If you are someone who doesn't like a lot of dressing, use less than I suggest in the recipe, and then you can always add more!
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 708kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 30g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 366mg | Potassium: 408mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1579IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 225mg | Iron: 3mg