• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Little Ferraro Kitchen logo
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Summer Recipes
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Summer Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Cookbooks
    • About
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian Recipes

    Lemon Orzo Salad with Corn and Basil

    Published: Jul 4, 2022 · Modified: Oct 9, 2022 by Samantha Ferraro · This post may contain affiliate links · 40 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    This light lemon orzo salad comes together in a breeze! Cooked orzo is tossed with a simple lemon vinaigrette, grilled corn, creamy feta and lots of fresh basil. Easy, quick, light and fresh is what I look for in the perfect pasta salad.

    This easy lemon orzo salad comes together quickly! Orzo is tossed with a simple lemon vinaigrette, grilled corn, creamy feta and lots of fresh basil.

    Easy Lemon Orzo Salad

    Today, I am whipping up an easy and light lemon orzo salad with grilled corn, fresh basil and creamy feta. This simple pasta salad is fantastic alongside grilled chicken shawarma skewers or tossed with a few spoonfuls of basil almond pesto.

    This recipe comes together in a breeze. Orzo cooks incredibly fast and once that's done, all you have to do is mix everything together and done, you have a light and fresh orzo pasta salad to enjoy all summer long!

    And what ties the orzo salad together is the quick lemon vinaigrette. At the bottom of your mixing bowl, whisk lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and then toss everything else in.

    This easy lemon orzo salad comes together quickly! Orzo is tossed with a simple lemon vinaigrette, grilled corn, creamy feta and lots of fresh basil.

    Ingredients

    • Olive Oil: Because this is a main part in the dressing, use a good quality extra virgin olive oil. I am loving this Organic Argentinian olive oil.
    • Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice is ideal.
    • Cooked Orzo: Found in the pasta aisle of grocery stores. or any other small shaped pasta.
    • Grilled Corn: If you don't have whole ears of corn to grill, you can use 1 cup of frozen corn kernels and saute in a skillet with a bit of olive oil until caramelized.
    • Fresh Basil: And a good amount of it, roughly torn or sliced into thin ribbons.
    • Feta Cheese: Buy a whole block of feta in the brine if you can and crumble the feta yourself. Blocks of feta are much creamier than the pre crumbled options.

    How to Make this Easy Orzo Salad

    1. Grill ears of corn until charred on all sides. Use a sharp knife to cut kernels off and set aside.
    2. In a large mixing bowl, add olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and whisk to combine.
    3. Add cooked orzo, grilled corn kernels, a handful of shredded fresh basil and crumbled feta cheese and stir everything to combine so the dressing coats everything.
    4. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

    Some Tips and Substitutions

    • If you don't' have whole ears of corn, you can substitute frozen corn kernels.Defrost corn kernels (I like to run it under warm water) and dry well. Then add corn to a skillet with olive oil and saute until caramelized.
    • Instead of crumbled feta cheese, creamy goat cheese would be delicious as well as small mozzarella balls.
    • This lemon orzo salad stores very well and can be made ahead up to 2 days in advance. If making ahead, add basil right before serving.
    • Other mix-in options: chopped castelveltrano olives, sun dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes or grilled zucchini.

    Recipes to serve with Lemon Orzo Salad

    • Shish Tawook (Grilled Chicken Skewers)
    • Grilled Tomahawk Steak with Chimichurri Compound Butter
    • Spatchcock Chicken with Lemon Herb Butter
    • Cedar Plank Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce and Fresh Lemon
      Cedar Plank Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce
    This easy lemon orzo salad comes together quickly! Orzo is tossed with a simple lemon vinaigrette, grilled corn, creamy feta and lots of fresh basil.

    More great salads

    • Lemony Couscous Salad with Chickpeas and Asparagus
    • Chopped Antipasto Salad
    • The perfect accompaniment to any Mediterranean dish, Israeli chopped salad is simple and fresh with tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh herbs and bright lemon.
      Israeli Chopped Salad
    • Chopped Kale and Chickpea Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing
    Easy lemon orzo salad is tossed with a simple lemon vinaigrette, grilled corn, creamy feta and lots of fresh basil.

    Lemon Orzo Salad with Corn and Basil

    Samantha Ferraro

    LittleFerraroKitchen.com

    A simple and flavorful lemon orzo salad with grilled corn, fresh basil and creamy feta cheese.
    5 from 32 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine American, Mediterranean
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 403 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 8 ounce dry orzo
    • 2 ears of corn about 1 cup of kernels
    • ½ cup olive oil
    • Juice of 1 lemon about ¼ cup
    • ½ teaspoon Black pepper
    • ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
    • 6 ounce crumbled feta
    • 2 cups Fresh basil leaves roughly torn or shredded

    Instructions
     

    • Cook orzo according to package directions and run under cold water once cooked. Set aside.
    • Grill ears of corn until charred on all sides. Use a sharp knife to cut kernels off and set aside.
    • In a large mixing bowl, add olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and whisk to combine.
    • Add cooked orzo, grilled corn kernels, a handful of shredded fresh basil and crumbled feta cheese and stir everything to combine so the dressing coats everything.
    • Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

    Video

    Notes

    • If you don't' have whole ears of corn, you can substitute frozen corn kernels.Defrost corn kernels (I like to run it under warm water) and dry well. Then add corn to a skillet with olive oil and saute until caramelized.
    • Instead of crumbled feta cheese, creamy goat cheese would be delicious as well as small mozzarella balls.
    • This lemon orzo salad stores very well and can be made ahead up to 2 days in advance. If making ahead, add basil right before serving.
    • Other mix-in options: chopped castelveltrano olives, sun dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes or grilled zucchini.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 403kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 10gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0.002gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 621mgPotassium: 209mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 599IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 164mgIron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe?Let us know by leaving a comment and 5 star rating!

    More Hearty & Flavorful Vegetarian Recipes

    • Over 50 recipe ideas for shish kabob side dishes.
      50+ Delicious Recipes for Shish Kabob Side Dishes
    • No mayo potato salad with grilled asparagus, capers and dressed in a bright vinaigrette.
      Grilled Potato Salad (No Mayo)
    • Tomato and mango pico de gallo served with tortilla chips.
      Fresh Mango Pico de Gallo
    • Grilled pineapple pico de gallo with tortilla chips.
      Grilled Pineapple Pico de Gallo

    Sharing is caring!

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email
    • Print

    Weeknight Mediterranean Shopping List

    Subscribe to get the Mediterranean shopping list and to be the 1st to get brand new recipes!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Samantha says

      July 19, 2012 at 7:54 am

      Can't wait to check it out!

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Samantha! I started this blog for my love of world cuisine and cultural flavors! You’ll find everything here from Jewish recipes, Middle Eastern, Italian and more!

    More about me →

    Summer Recipes

    • Shish Tawook (Grilled Chicken Skewers)
    • It's Time to Grill Your Pizza
    • Mediterranean Watermelon Salad
    • Grill summers produce and make this grilled panzanella salad dressed in a tangy vinaigrette, grilled vegetables and charred bread.
      Grilled Panzanella Salad
    • Grilled Tomahawk Steak with Chimichurri Compound Butter
    • Cedar Plank Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce and Fresh Lemon
      Cedar Plank Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce

    Pre-Order My Latest Cookbook!

    One Pot Mediterranean cookbook cover
    Buy This Book Online
    Buy from Amazon Kindle
    Buy from IndieBound
    Buy from Barnes and Noble
    Buy from Amazon
    One Pot Mediterranean
    Buy now!

    Trending Recipes

    • Julia Child's Salad Nicoise
    • Creamy and easy tomato mascarpone sauce with parmesan and fresh basil.
      Creamy Tomato Mascarpone Sauce with Pasta
    • Steamed clams are cooked together with wine wine, garlic, a touch of butter and loads of fresh herbs. And have extra crusty bread ready to soak up the delicious broth.
      Steamed Clams with White Wine and Garlic
    • Pearled couscous with colorful roasted vegetables.
      Israeli Couscous Salad with Roasted Vegetables
    • Turkish Sumac Onions
    • Easy French seafood stew with shrimp, mussels, clams and halibut.
      Simple Bouillabaisse Recipe (French Seafood Stew)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Featured In

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 · Samantha Ferraro · Little Ferraro Kitchen · All Rights Reserved