READY IN ABOUT 2¾ hrs

Mexican Orzo Salad

Read Reviews (30)

"This takes a little time for chopping, but for those who love Mexican food and orzo, you will love this fantastic tasting salad. It has the fresh taste of lime and cilantro!" — NST62

Directions

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the orzo, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain.
Place the drained orzo in a large salad bowl, and fold in the red pepper, yellow pepper, green onions, red onion, chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans, corn, cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the lime juice and oil over the salad, toss to coat, and refrigerate at least 2 hours to chill before serving.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 24 mins
COOK 10 mins
READY IN 2 hrs 34 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

May 27, 2009

Have to admit I subbed seeded jalapenos for the bell peppers...but this has to be one of the most refreshing salads ever. It has a very clean and bright flavor...and since I used olive oil instead of canola...has to be healthy as well. The perfect summer side dish!

—Emily Tisdale

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Mar 12, 2010

This salad had a light, refreshing taste although it was a bit bland for my husband's taste. It was actually better the next day when I added a little more oil, a squeeze of lemon and some salad shrimp. My husband simply doused it in peppercorn ranch dressing...not a bad recipe at all. I think I'll make it with black olives next time!

—Kimmy Sue Ruby Lou

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31 Ratings

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Apr 12, 2011

I loved this. It's simple, tasty, refreshing. It's been great to have this in the refrigerator as a snack during the day or as a side for dinner. It's turned out to be pretty filling too. My wife was very impressed with me, so that was a nice bonus.

—Tim Brennan

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Feb 08, 2010

Loved this! Only used 2 cans black beans and added a can of Mexicorn. Also didn't have bell peppers so added a can of diced jalapenos. I love cumin and chili powder so I used about a 1/2 tsp of each. Delicious!

—Nurse Ellen so not a

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May 26, 2009

This was an excellent summer side dish. It was better the next day and after than when first prepared. Everyone loved it and wanted more.

—bgeorgius

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Jun 02, 2009

What a great summer salad! It was time consuming to make but so worth it! I couldn't find orzo so I used another small pasta and it was fine. I found that the lime was very strong after making the salad so I added another tablespoon of oil (I used grapeseed oil) to mellow it out and added about 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste. Perfect! Will be serving this with Spicy Lime-Cilantro Marinated Flank Steak from this site. Updated: THis was even better the next day. I cut up the left over steak that I served it with and mixed it into the salad and had it cold the next day and I liked it even more! Very fresh!

—Joelle

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Nov 23, 2009

This is a fresh, colorful salad. As others have mentioned it is a little bland so I added some cumin to the mix to give it more pizzaz.

—Donna Mason

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Jul 18, 2012

I thought this was really good, making just a couple small changes to suit our tastes - namely, halving the amounts of green and red onion, adding a minced jalapeno, and adding a bit of cumin. I was a little nervous about using the full amount of cilantro, but I did and it was fine. Made a second, smaller batch later using just black beans and adding avocado - that was good, too! :)

—Christine M

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Nutrition

Calories
457 kcal
23%

Carbohydrates
73.7 g
24%

Cholesterol
0 mg
0%

Fat
12.9 g
20%

Fiber
10.4 g
42%

Protein
14.7 g
29%

Sodium
368 mg
15%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Mexican Orzo Salad

Serving Size: 1/8 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
** Calories: 457
** Calories from Fat: 116

% Daily Value *
** Total Fat 12.9g 20 %
** Saturated Fat 1.1g 6 %
** Cholesterol 0mg 0 %
** Sodium 368mg 15 %
** Potassium 367mg 10 %
** Total Carbohydrates 73.7g 24 %
** Dietary Fiber 10.4g 42 %
** Protein 14.7g 29 %
** Sugars 4.1g
** Vitamin A 20 %
** Vitamin C 83 %
** Calcium 10 %
** Iron 41 %
** Thiamin 40 %
** Niacin 42 %
** Vitamin B6 22 %
** Magnesium 19 %
** Folate 96 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.