Spinach and Orzo Salad

This recipe contains nearly all the classic Greek salad ingredients, but has a distinct character of its own because of the orzo and the pureed spinach.
Serves 4.
Can be made into a meal by adding two cans of sardines. The sardines should be added to the top of the salad just before serving.

Yield:
serves 4 persons
Category:
Salads and Dressings
Cuisine:
Greek

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 cup orzo pasta
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 160 g feta cheese, roughly crumbled
  • 20 Kalamata Greek olives pitted, roughly chopped
  • 100 g (3 1/2 ounces) baby spinach
  • 1 red (or orange or yellow) bell pepper, diced
  • 1 large tomato, diced
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion (about half a red onion)
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp vinegar, can be white, red or balsamic, or use a tablespoon of lemon juice 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar (can substitute white wine vinegar or lemon juice)
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp. dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Cook the orzo:
    Bring to a pot of salted water to a rolling boil (1 tablespoon of salt for every 2 quarts of water). Add the orzo to the pot. Leave uncovered, cook on high heat with a vigorous boil for 8 to 10 minutes until al dente (cooked, but still a little firm).
  2. Drain. Rinse with cold water to cool quickly.
  3. Toast the pine nuts: Toast the pine nuts by heating a small skillet on medium heat. Add the pine nuts and stir occasionally until the pine nuts are lightly browned. Pay attention or you'll burn the pine nuts.
  4. Purée half the spinach with 1 tablespoon olive oil, mix with orzo: Take half of the spinach and purée it in a food processor or blender, adding one tablespoon of the olive oil. In a large serving bowl mix the spinach purée olive oil mixture in with cooked orzo until the pasta is well coated with the purée.
  5. Mix the onion, feta, pine nuts, olives, remaining spinach with the orzo: Roughly chop the other half of the spinach. Then gently mix the spinach, the red onion, feta cheese, pine nuts, and the Kalamata olives in with the orzo.
  6. Make the dressing: In a small jar, combine the remaining olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, mustard, dried basil, and dried tarragon. Put a lid on the jar and shake to combine. (You can also just whisk together these ingredients in a small bowl, but the jar method works great to get a good emulsion.)
  7. Pour the dressing over orzo: Pour over orzo spinach mixture and gently mix in until well incorporated.
  8. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

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This recipe can be found online at: lemonzest.ca/Home/Recipes/2118