Orzo Pasta Salad with Grilled Steak
Orzo pasta. At first glance, you may think it's rice, but orzo isn't a grain - it's a quick-cooking pasta that makes a very yummy summer salad and many great side dish recipes. This Orzo Pasta Salad with Grilled Steak has a tangy vinaigrette, lots of veggies, feta cheese, and last but not least, a nice helping of sliced, grilled steak.
Servings: 12 servings
Chef Alli
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Ingredients
Dressing Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1-2 Tbs. concentrated chicken base paste, such as Better Than Bouillon (small jar found in the broth section of your grocer - store in the fridge)
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Salad Ingredients
- 1 lb. orzo pasta, cooked according to pkg directions, drained and cooled slightly
- 1 medium zucchini, skin on, diced
- 2 bell peppers, (red, orange, or yellow), seeds and membranes removed, diced
- 1 C. yellow teardrop or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise, optional
- 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained well
- 1/2 cup chopped scallions (green onions)
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 oz. pkg feta crumbles
- 1/2 C. soy nuts, may substitute pine nuts or pepitas
- 1 lb. grilled beef flat iron or sirloin steak, fully cooked to medium rare, sliced thinly across the grain, warm
Instructions
Make the Dressing
- Place the dressing ingredients into a jar with a lid or a dressing cruet; shake well until the ingredients are well combined; reserve.
Assemble the Salad
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add a good drizzle of olive oil; when the oil is hot, add the bell peppers and zucchini. Sauté the veggies until softened, approx. 8-10 minutes; remove from heat and reserve.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked orzo with the tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, salt, and pepper; gently toss in the reserved cooked vegetables. Drizzle the orzo mixture with half of the prepared dressing, gently tossing to coat all the ingredients.
- When you are ready to serve the salad, add the remaining half of the dressing, then toss the salad once more. (Add as much or as little of the dressing as preferred.) Top the salad with the slices of grilled steak; garnish with soy nuts and feta, as desired. Salad is best served at room temperature, instead of chilled.
Nutrition
Calories: 283kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 18gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 412mgPotassium: 516mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1112IUVitamin C: 37mgCalcium: 133mgIron: 2mg
Nutritional Disclaimer
Chef Alli is not a dietitian or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate.
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