Grilled Vegetable Orzo Salad
With zucchini, yellow squash, peppers and red onions, this grilled vegetable orzo salad is loaded with veggies and tossed in a simple garlic vinaigrette.
It doesn’t matter if I’m grilling or roasting, I always have more vegetables than I need for whatever recipe I’m making.
Cooking veggies on Sundays is part of my meal prep routine. They get me through the week. I end up adding them to salads, pastas, frittatas and even scrambled eggs.
I am a huge fan of leftovers, but that doesn’t mean they always have to be a full meal. Don’t hesitate to have just cooked ingredients ready in the fridge. Then you can put them to use in different ways. That makes variety super simple.
This grilled vegetable orzo salad is just one of many things that I make with a mix of veggies. It’s a very easy recipe that’s filling for a main, but it also feels right for a side.
How To Grill Vegetables
When I prep vegetables for the grill, I cut them into pieces that are large enough not to fall through the grates of the grill. But they aren’t so big that they won’t get the necessary grill marks and char.
After I cut the vegetables, I toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper before they hit the grill.
I keep them organized by type on the grill, so I can manage different cooking times for different vegetables.
The Best Vegetables for Grilling
For me, this is kind of a trick question. That’s because I will put pretty much any vegetable on the grill including broccoli and cauliflower.
And don’t get me started on corn! I love it too.
But for this orzo, I keep my selections pretty standard with zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers and red onions.
Can You Use A Stovetop Grill Pan for This Orzo Salad?
Absolutely! I know not everyone has access to outdoor space and a grill. A stovetop grill pan is an inexpensive, easy way to grill inside.
And I think vegetables are one of the best things to grill on a grill pan.
If you are interested, you can learn how to grill vegetables without a grill.
Once you get the hang of it, you will find your preferred way to grill veggies.
The Ingredients
This is what you need for this grilled vegetable orzo pasta:
- Orzo
- Zucchini
- Yellow squash
- Bell peppers
- Red onions
- Olive oil
- White wine vinegar
- Garlic
- Salt & pepper
Is Orzo Pasta?
Even though orzo looks more like rice, it is pasta. I dice the vegetables, so they are a small size that’s balanced with the orzo grains.
If you want, you can substitute orzo with brown rice, pearl couscous, barley or another grain that is strong enough to stand up to weight of all those grilled vegetables. So I wouldn’t use quinoa.
How To Make A Grilled Vegetable Orzo Salad
First, I preheat the grill. Then in the time I have before the grill is ready, I make the orzo on the stovetop.
Once the orzo is cooked and al dente, I drain it and toss it in a large bowl with olive oil, white wine vinegar, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Not only does this add flavor to the orzo, it also prevents the grains from sticking together while you grill the vegetables.
Before heading out to the grill, I toss the vegetables in olive oil, salt and pepper.
With the grill hot, I arrange the vegetables on the grates by type. They will be done within minutes of each other, but I like to keep this organization.
Also, you know your grill better than anyone else. Mine definitely has hotter zones that no matter what I can’t seem to control. So there are certain areas that I have to watch more carefully.
When the vegetables have grill marks on one side, then I flip them over to the other side to finish.
Next, I dice the grilled vegetables and fold them into the orzo salad with chopped parsley.
How To Serve This Grilled Vegetable Orzo Salad
As I mentioned, you can serve this vegetarian dish as a main or a side. And it tastes good warm, at room temperature or cold.
I guess technically it is a pasta salad since it’s dressed with a vinaigrette, but it’s so much more versatile than that.
You can even make it more of a salad by stirring in whatever lettuce or greens you have in your kitchen.
Try One of These Other Grilled Vegetable Recipes
Grilled Eggplant, Corn & Tomatoes
Grilled Zucchini Summer Squash & Corn
How To Grill Vegetables Without a Grill
Grilled Caponata
Grilled Corn Broccoli Salad
Balsamic Veggie Skewers
Grilled Corn Pepper Chopped Kale Salad
Grilled Apricot and Corn Harissa Couscous
Zucchini Corn Salad
Grilled Vegetable Orzo Salad
Ingredients
- For orzo
- 1 cup orzo
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- For vegetables
- 2 zucchini, sliced lengthwise 1/2” thick
- 2 summer squash, sliced lengthwise 1/2” thick
- 2 red bell peppers, cut lengthwise into 2-inch wide strips
- 1 red onion, sliced into 1/2” thick rounds
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat a gas or charcoal grill on medium high heat
- Cook the orzo in salted boiling water on the stove until al dente according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water in a colander.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, minced garlic, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Stir in the orzo.
- Toss the vegetables in 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
- Grill the vegetables until they have grill marks all over, about 4-5 minutes per side for onions & peppers and 2-3 minutes per side for zucchini & squash.
- Dice the grilled vegetables and stir them into the orzo with chopped parsley.
Very good, refreshing salad that we made for a meatless Monday Memorial Day. All the veggies took up the whole grill, which I loved! My husband and I both liked it and as lunch leftovers my husband mentioned how good it was. I served it with halloumi. Will be saving this recipe. Oh, the only thing I did different was I didn’t have white wine vinegar (I thought my rice vinegar was white wine vinegar), so I used red wine vinegar and it was still really good. Usually my husband complains when I make dressings with red wine vinegar, but he didn’t notice!
Delicious! Light taste that made the veggies the star of the show. Served with some baked tofu, husband picked the plate clean. Thank you!