Brightland's Chef in Residence, Noreen Wasti, has created a simple orzo salad that shines with flavor and texture. Easy to prepare and sure to satisfy, it makes for a delicious dish that comes together quickly.
"This orzo salad is a must for your repertoire. Adaptable and simple with just a few ingredients, it’s ideal for when you need something unfussy, but still satisfying and delicious. I have a tendency to add a million ingredients into a dish (#extra), but this doesn’t need much else besides a really, really good vinaigrette made with shallots, grainy dijon mustard, PARASOL vinegar, and lemony LUCID olive oil. PARASOL is really the star here, it cuts through the entire salad with acidity and brightness."
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dry orzo
- 2 small (or 1 large) sized shallots, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp whole grain mustard
- 3 Tbsp of Brightland PARASOL champagne vinegar
- 1/2 cup of Brightland LUCID lemon olive oil
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 cup finely chopped fresh dill
- 8 medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
- 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions
- 1 Cook orzo in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente (typically around 7-8 minutes) and drain.
- 2 Prepare the vinaigrette by combining the shallots, whole grain mustard, PARASOL vinegar, LUCID olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk to emulsify.
- 3 Transfer the orzo to a large bowl with the vinaigrette, dill, dates, and feta. Toss well to combine and season with salt & pepper to taste.