Large bowl for tossing the salad together / serving.
Ingredients
250gorzo / risoni
1teaspoonsalt
2peachespitted and diced
2Lebanese / Persian cucumbersor ½ large cucumber, deseeded and cubed
½small red onionthinly sliced
125gfetacubed
50grocket
4tablespoonsfresh basilchopped
Dressing:
4tablespoonsolive oil
2tablespoonslemon juice
salt
black pepper
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to boil, add the teaspoon of salt then add the orzo. Cook the orzo according to the packet directions.
Drain the orzo, run it under cold water, drain again and then spread it out on a plate or tray to cool - this helps to stop it from sticking together.
Make the dressing:
In a small bowl whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice and season with salt and black pepper together.
Combine the salad:
In a large bowl, toss the cooled cooked orzo with the chopped peaches, cucumber, red onion, feta, arugula / rocket and chopped basil.
Drizzle over the dressing and toss gently to combine – don’t toss too much otherwise the feta will break down.
Check for seasoning, adding a little more salt and black pepper if needed.
Serve straight away, or place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to allow the flavours to develop.
Best served at room temperature.
Notes
Make ahead/storage
Fridge: store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Any longer and the vegetables can become watery. If you do need to refrigerate the salad, bring it to room temperature before serving – the cool mutes the flavours and this will let them sing!Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing this recipe. Orzo – also known as risoni in Australia. Substitute with another small pasta like small macaroni or ditalini.· Olive oil – use extra virgin olive oil for the best flavour.· Lemon juice – fresh lemon juice adds a citrus zing to the salad. Substitute with red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.· Peaches – yellow peaches or white peaches – although yellow peaches provide more of a contrast of colours! You can substitute with nectarines.· Cucumbers - Lebanese / Persian cucumbers, deseeded and cubed.· Red onion – this adds a fresh bite to the salad, and red onion is less sharp than other varieties. Substitute with 2-3 onions / green onions / scallions, finely chopped.· Feta cheese – or goat’s cheese.· Baby arugula/ rocket – substitute with baby spinachFresh basil - substitute with parsley or mint.