Lemon Orzo Salad with Corn and Basil

5 from 38 votes

A simple and flavorful lemon orzo salad with grilled corn, fresh basil and creamy feta cheese.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Mediterranean

Keyword: lemon orzo salad

Servings: servings

Calories: 403kcal

Cost: $10

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.

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.