Greek Zucchini “Orzo” Salad

Greek Zucchini “Orzo” Salad

Happy Mother’s Day! My mother is actually in my kitchen right now, configuring our new...

Greek Zucchini “Orzo” Salad

Happy Mother’s Day! My mother is actually in my kitchen right now, configuring our new coffee maker, thanks to my friend Anna. She slept over last night and now, I’m putting her to work!

This has been the weekend of using wedding registry gifts. Last night, I had my sister, her boyfriend and my mother over for dinner. I was dying to try out the Breville Pizza Maker my Aunt Marcia got me off the registry.

Let me just say, if you want to make pizza at home, get this pizza maker.

Greek Zucchini “Orzo” Salad

I know this is a healthy food blog about spiralizing, but I had to share, because I was absolutely amazed with how well it worked.

I bought pre-made whole wheat pizza crust from Whole Foods and then pre-cooked my own toppings, assembled the pizza, put it into the pizza maker and 4 minutes later, voila – a perfectly crusted pizza.

I made a broccoli and onion pizza with tomato, oregano and basil and then another one with sausage, onions, tomato and basil. They were hits – and I always love seeing my mother not having to work and just relaxing and enjoying her time.

Here’s another shot from my bachelorette party, all of the girls about to go out for the night (my mom is on the far left, lookin’ gorgeous as usual):

Inspiralized

We had wine, ate and then watched Hot Tub Time Machine 2. Pretty standard Saturday night!

Today, we’re going out for brunch and then out for a walk. My sister and her boyfriend just moved in across the street, so they’re in the midst of trips to Home Goods, Home Depot and Target. They’re officially Jersey City residents, we convinced them to move out of their tiny Murray Hill apartment in NYC to double the square footage and full amenities here in the JC.

Greek Zucchini “Orzo” Salad

As for this recipe, my mother has been patiently waiting for me to post it up. It’s refreshing, flavorful and perfect to make for large groups. If you’d like more protein, try grilled chicken or chickpeas!

Now, it’s off to wrap my mother’s day gift (yes, I’m last minute, I know!) and spend the day with her. Enjoy your Mother’s Day!

Greek Zucchini “Orzo” Salad

If you’ve never “riced” spiralized veggies before, then watch this video:

Have you tried ricing zucchini before?

Nutritional Information & Recipe

Inspiralized

Greek Zucchini “Orzo” Salad

Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 3 -4

Ingredients

  • For the salad:
  • 1.5 cups seeded and chopped roma tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup halved pitted kalamata olives
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 cup canned artichoke hearts drained and quartered
  • 1 cups baby spinach
  • 1/4 cup diced red onion
  • For the dressing:
  • 1.5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
  • pepper to taste
  • For the orzo:
  • 1.5-2 medium zucchinis Blade C/D

Instructions

  • Place the zucchini noodles into a food processor and pulse until orzo-shaped (like a longer rice.) Be careful not to over-pulse, as zucchini is moist and will become mushy. Pat dry and set aside.
  • Combine all of the ingredients for the dressing into a bowl and whisk together. Taste and adjust to your preference.
  • Place all of the ingredients for the salad along with the zucchini in a large mixing bowl and pour over the dressing. Toss thoroughly to combine and serve or save in the refrigerator for up to 4 days for maximum freshness.

 

with love, Ali

leave a comment

Recipe Rating




comments

  • This is delicious! Making a batch for 12 this week :) Thank you so much for your creative recipes.
  • Enjoy your recipes, but it is very difficult to get to the actual recipe once I go to your website. Why do you have four pictures of the dish before I can view the recipe?
  • Ali, can the zucchini 'orzo' be gently cooked if preferred?
    • It's not recommended, as the zucchini will release its water and make the dish a little soupy.
  • I didn't know you could make "rice" with spiralized veggies! It looks delicious :)
  • I am so enjoying my spiralizer and your cookbook. It's truly helping with my weight loss efforts (I've lost 26.6 lbs since December 1). Because I'm a calorie counter, I need clarification with something-: many of your recipes' nutritional information says "serves 3-4, or 2-3, etc." Is the nutritional information provided always for the smaller serving? i.e. This one serves 3-4, so is this particular nutritional info representative of a quarter of the recipe?
    • Beth - if you look at the top of the nutrition info bar, it says "Servings: 3.0." I believe she has the serving amount on the nutrition calculator for all of her recipes. Hopefully that helps. : )
  • Hi Ali! If I wanted to make this for lunch for the week, I could mix it all together and store in the refrigerator without risking the zucchini and other ingredients getting too mushy/watery? Or would you suggest ricing the zucchini, storing it separately and then preparing the salad the day before? Thanks so much! -Kristen