Sweet & Salty Rainbow Orzo Salad

Searching for that perfect pasta salad side dish to bring to a potluck or eat with your sandwich? This Sweet & Salty Rainbow Orzo Salad is delicious, beautiful, and adaptable.

Without a doubt one of my all-time favorite vegetarian pasta salad recipes (see also: this Bow Tie Pasta Salad with Roasted Tomatoes), it hits ALL the right notes. Fragrant and colorful. Sweet and salty. Crunchy and chewy. Check, check, check!

This recipe is a refreshing and vibrant take on pasta salad, pairing sweet peas and raisins with salty olives and red onion for a bright burst of flavor. All mixed with orzo, which makes the pasta to dressing ratio next-level delicious!

Plus, as a busy mom who wants bold flavor, I love a simple yet delicious salad like this that can be prepped at the start of the week and enjoyed cold right out of the fridge throughout.

Rainbow Orzo Salad Ingredient Highlights

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Orzo is a type of pasta that is very small and shaped like rice. They are tiny grains of oval-shaped pasta that cooks quickly in boiled water and is delicious with a number of different sauces and in pasta salad.

The advantages to using orzo in place of other pasta shapes is that it completely soaks in the sauce, giving you a better sauce to pasta ratio. Similarly, it’s also really delicious in this Vegetable Orzo soup!

I usually use frozen peas, as I always have them in my freezer, but you can also use canned peas. I cook them in a tiny bit of sugar to enhance their natural sweetness, but you can absolutely omit the sugar.

I use Golden Raisins because they are just slightly less sweet than regular raisins, and I find they play a little nicer with savory ingredients, but you can also use regular raisins or even craisins.

You can buy it at the store or make your own homemade Greek Vinaigrette.

Rainbow Orzo Salad Tips and Tricks

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How to Make Pasta Salad with Orzo

Orzo is cooked just like pasta and should be made al dente for the perfect bite. Stir occasionally as you boil it, so that the orzo does not stick together.

It’s best to dress the orzo within ten minutes after cooking it, before it has a chance to stick together. This recipe comes together quickly, so this won’t be an issue here.

Bear in mind the orzo is small, so make sure the holes in your colander are small enough to contain the orzo. You may want to use a sieve.

While you are bringing your water to a boil to cook your orzo, you can get started on prepping all of your ingredients.

For both the onions and carrots, you’ll want to peel and dice them into tiny, pieces to add crunch to every bite.

I usually buy pitted Kalamata olives, simply because they are easier to work with in this recipe.

If you have pitted olives, cut the olive in half longways around the pit and discard the pit before moving to the next step.

Remove the olives from the liquid they are suspended in and use a sharp knife to dice them into small pieces. Simple as that!

Next, get going on your peas. If you are using canned peas, drain and rinse them before beginning the next step.

Add the butter, peas, and sugar to a large pan over medium heat. Stir until the peas are defrosted (if frozen) and coated in butter and sugar. This will bring out the natural sweetness in the peas. This should only take 2-3 minutes.

Once the peas are done, remove the pan from heat.

I like to toss everything together right in my pan, so any leftover butter and sugar in the pan is added to the orzo.

Once the pan is removed from heat, throw in all your ingredients including the cooked orzo, prepped carrots, onions, olives, Greek Vinaigrette, and Feta cheese.

Then, toss it together until everything is coated in the vinaigrette and evenly distributed.

Storing Your Orzo Veggie Salad

Leftover Rainbow Orzo Salad will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

If you do freeze leftovers, make sure to allow them to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying.