Easy Caprese Orzo Salad
The classic combination of mozzarella, tomato and fresh basil takes center stage in this easy and delicious Caprese Orzo Salad recipe. The best part however is that this Caprese Salad is the perfect side dish for any protein. Whether you are grilling steak, chicken or pork it is sure to be the side dish that everyone reaches for. You will love how quickly it comes together and everyone will fall head over heels with the combination of flavors.
Do you like Orzo Salads? Try this Mediterranean Salad with Chickpeas!
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Why you will love this Orzo Salad
There are so many reasons to fall in love with this Caprese Orzo Salad. Here are the things that will have you coming back to this recipe over and over again.
- The recipe is simple to make. The orzo pasta only takes about 9 minutes to cook and the other ingredients can be prepared while it is cooking. So the salad is ready in no time.
- There are only a handful of ingredients. With only a few flavorful ingredients, you don’t have to have a ton of things on hand to make this Caprese Salad.
- The salad gets better when it is made ahead of time. Being able to make this Caprese Orzo Salad ahead of time is such a great bonus.
- Caprese Salad is healthy. Everyone loves a delicious recipe that is also good for you!
Ingredients Needed
- Orzo Pasta-A small pasta that looks almost identical to rice.
- Balsamic Vinaigrette-You can make your own or purchase a good quality vinaigrette from the grocery store.
- Cherry Tomatoes-If they are small you can keep them whole, otherwise cut the cherry tomatoes in half or quarters.
- Basil leaves-Cut the basil into thin ribbons {or chiffonade} for a beautiful addition to this Caprese Salad.
- Mozzarella Pearls-They can be found in the specialty cheese section in most grocery stores. If you can’t find them then cut mozzarella into cubes.
How to make Caprese Orzo Salad
- Cook the Orzo pasta according to package directions and drain. Pour the cooked orzo into a bowl and pour ¼ cup of the balsamic vinaigrette over the warm pasta.
- Stir to coat, cover and refrigerate until cool.
- Once the pasta is cool, add the quartered cherry tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, basil ribbons, salt, pepper.
- Add remaining ¼-½ cup {depending on how much you like} of balsamic vinaigrette. Stir until everything is evenly combined and serve or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Note: The pasta will absorb some of the vinaigrette as it sets in the refrigerator, so you may have to add a little more.
Pro Tips
- Make the salad at least 2 hours ahead of time. This allows all of the flavors to marry together and get even better.
- If you can’t find mozzarella pearls then just chop mozzarella sticks {or string cheese} into bite sized pieces.
- If you don’t want to chiffonade {or cut into thin strips} the basil then tear it with your hands into small pieces and add it to the salad.
- Add cooked chicken to the salad and serve with bread for a complete meal.
Recipe Variations
Pasta-Any kind of small pasta would work well in this recipe. A small shell pasta, ditalini or orecchiette would all be a great substitution.
Cheese-Using mozzarella pearls is wonderful because there is no cutting involved but they can sometimes be harder to find. Don’t let that stop you from making this salad. Just cut mozzarella cheese into cubes and add it instead.
Tomatoes-There are so many different varieties of tomatoes and so you can go crazy with them. I love adding cherry tomatoes because caprese uses red tomatoes traditionally but heirlooms would be gorgeous.
Basil-Fresh basil is a must for a good Caprese Salad but you can small leaves whole or tear the leaves by hand if you don’t want to take the time to cut it into ribbons.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is orzo?
Orzo is a pasta that is very small and looks almost identical to rice. It works great in this recipe because it gives the salad some body but doesn’t take away from the amazing caprese flavors.
What is Caprese?
Caprese is an Italian dish that consists of tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheese. It is said to have originated on the island of Capri.
Can I make this Caprese Orzo Salad in advance?
This Orzo salad can absolutely be made ahead of time. In fact, it is better when it is made at least a couple of hours in advance.
How do you get thinly sliced basil?
The key to nice even slices of basil is to layer 7-8 basil leaves on top of each other and then roll them into a tight roll. Take the knife and thinly slice through the roll to create thin slices or a chiffonade.
Cutting the basil into thin strips gives them such a beautiful texture, it also allows the basil to distribute throughout the recipe nicely.
Do you love caprese? Try these recipes…
Easy Caprese Orzo Salad
Ingredients
- 16 ounces orzo pasta
- ½-¾ cup balsamic vinaigrette
- 10-12 cherry tomatoes {quartered}
- 8 ounces mozzarella pearls {or 8 ounces cubed mozzarella}
- 8 large basil leaves {cut into ribbons}
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the Orzo pasta according to package directions and drain. Pour the cooked orzo into a bowl and pour ¼ cup of the balsamic vinaigrette over the warm pasta. Stir to coat, cover and refrigerate until cool.
- Once the pasta is cool, add the quartered cherry tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, basil ribbons, salt, pepper and remaining ¼-½ cup {depending on how much you like} of balsamic vinaigrette. Stir until everything is evenly combined and serve or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Note: The pasta will absorb some of the vinaigrette as it sets in the refrigerator, so you may have to add a little more.
