I’m trying to work my way through a large tub of spinach this week before it gets wilted, so today I threw a bunch of it into a really simple salad with orzo, sun dried tomatoes (another ingredient I’m trying to use up), and some of my leftover feta that I have stashed in the freezer. I topped it all off with a super simple homemade balsamic vinaigrette. I absolutely LOVE super simple salad like this Spinach and Orzo Salad. For me this would be a great light lunch, but you could also serve it along side some of your summer grilling!
Take Your Spinach and Orzo Salad Further…
I kept my salad simple because, like I said, I was using up leftovers. But, if you want to take it further you could always add some thinly sliced red onion, maybe some kalamata olives, grilled chicken, or chopped artichoke hearts. This salad is super flexible!
Spinach and Orzo Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Servings 4Ingredients
BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
- 1/4 cup olive oil ($0.52)
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar ($0.22)
- 1 clove garlic, minced ($0.08)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard ($0.03)
- Salt and pepper to taste ($0.03)
SALAD
- 1/2 lb orzo ($0.50)
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach ($1.50)
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes ($1.50)
- 2 oz feta ($1.12)
Instructions
- Prepare the vinaigrette first to allow the flavors time to blend. Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, Dijon, about 1/4 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper to a jar or bowl. Whisk until the ingredients are combined, or place a lid on the jar and shake for 10-15 seconds. Set the dressing aside.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil to cook the orzo. Once boiling, add the orzo and continue to boil until tender. Drain the orzo and allow it to cool just slightly.
- While waiting for the orzo to cook, chop the sun dried tomatoes into small pieces. Place them in a bowl and cover with hot water (I used a ladle full of boiling water from the pot just before adding the pasta). Let the chopped sun dried tomatoes sit in the hot water for about 5 minutes, then drain.
- Place the baby spinach in a large bowl. Add the drained and still warm orzo to the bowl, along with the soaked sun dried tomatoes, and crumbled feta cheese. Pour the balsamic vinaigrette over top, then toss until the ingredients are combined and coated with vinaigrette. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.
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Nutrition
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How to Make Spinach and Orzo Salad – Step by Step Photos
Make the balsamic vinaigrette first to allow the flavors a few minutes to blend. This dressing is super easy and only takes about five minutes. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 clove of minced garlic, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, about 1/4 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper to either a small jar or a bowl. Place a lid on the jar and shake for 10-15 seconds, or whisk it in a bowl until combined. Set the dressing aside.
Cook 8oz. (about 1 cup) orzo according to the package directions. Once cooked, drain it in a colander, and let it cool for just a few minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the sun dried tomatoes. These are the type that I use and in my local store they are in the produce department. I used about 1/2 cup of these tomato halves, which was about 11 pieces. The pieces are large, though, so we want to chop ’em up.
Chop the tomatoes into small pieces. Since these are the dry type of sun dried tomatoes (as opposed to oil packed), we want to soften them up some. Place the chopped tomatoes in a bowl and cover them with hot water. I just ladled some of the boiling water that I was boiling for the orzo (before I actually added the orzo) over the tomatoes. Let them sit in the hot water for about 5 minutes, then drain them.
Place about 4 cups of fresh baby spinach in a large bowl. Add the drained and slightly cooled orzo (it should still be warm–this helps wilt the spinach just a bit), softened sun dried tomatoes, and 2 oz. crumbled feta.
Drizzle the balsamic vinaigrette over the salad (I used the entire batch of vinaigrette).
Toss the ingredients together until they are combined and coated in the balsamic vinaigrette. The spinach leaves will soften after a few minutes as they absorb the dressing and heat from the orzo. I like to save just a little of the feta to sprinkle over top as well.
And that’s it! Could this Spinach and Orzo Salad be any easier?? Good food doesn’t have to be complicated.
This is a fantastic recipe! I used homemade oven dried tomatoes in oil instead of the sundried tomatoes. The leftovers kept well for the week and were awesome for work lunches. I just microwaved the leftovers for about 10-15 seconds to take the chill off. Thanks!!
What is the nutritional value for this recipe?
Beth doesn’t publish nutritional value but you can try to calculate it yourself using a variety of nutritional calendars. I used MyFitnessPal to track it for myself.
This inspired me to make a similar rendition to use up some stuff I had in the fridge! I used arugula instead of spinach, parmesan instead of feta, grape tomatoes, and then subbed in lemon juice for the vinegar in the dressing – YUM! It was a hit at the cookout. Thanks, Beth!
Would this work with frozen spinach?
I think this one is better suited for fresh spinach. Frozen spinach will be quite stringy.
This was great. It’s all my favorite flavors and I added kalamata olives. I would have loved a squeeze of lemon, too.
Tasty, easy, yummy! I will make this again.
This is so great — I have all these ingredients right now, except I have spring mix salad instead of spinach. Yum. Can’t wait!
Hi Beth!
I made this with cucumbers and radishes instead of the dried tomato, and it was still super nice and with an extra crunch!
Thanks for the recipe, as always.
This was fantastic! We added some shrimp for a quick protein.
Easy and satisfying meal, perfect with a glass of wine! Took no time at all to whip up and very flavorful. Thank you!
what is an Orzo? I can’t find it anywhere…. is there a substitute using normal ingredients?
Orzo is just a pasta shape. You can use any pasta shape you want.
YUM! Do you think I can sub cherry tomatoes instead of sundried tomatoes?
Yep, that would be delicious!
Yum! This looks like the perfect salad for hot summer days.
This looks delicious!!!Can’t wait to try it!
Could you do this with oil packed sundried tomatoes? I have some in the fridge I’d love to clear out!
Sure can! You probably won’t need to soak them in water like I did.