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Home » Recipes » Sides

Orzo Salad with Lemon and Kale

Published: Aug 15, 2017 · Modified: Nov 5, 2024 by Tristin Rieken · 2 Comments

One Pot Lemony Kale Orzo Pilaf is a flavorful and nutritious side that does dual duty as a quick weeknight dinner side and the next day can be turned into a cold orzo salad for lunch.

Orzo pilaf in a cast iron skillet.
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  • Orzo salad recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Step by step instructions
  • How to serve
  • 📖 Recipe

Orzo salad recipe

Orzo is rice shaped pasta that makes it easy to mix up your standard side dishes. Perfect warm or cold, it’s super versatile and delish however you serve it.

Orzo salad in a skillet with shredded cheese and lemon.

With a few pantry staples and your choice of fresh garden produce this all-in-one side with bright flavor is hearty enough to accompany any protein you grill, roast or fry up!

Ingredients

Use whichever greens and aromatics, liquid and pasta you have on hand. For this recipe we’re using kale, scallions and garlic, chicken stock and orzo. But it can be made with whatever combination of ingredients you have on hand.

Orzo salad ingredients.

Get creative and mix up the ingredients! This is such a great method that you can use with whatever you have on hand. Different greens, herbs, aromatics, citrus and proteins. There are really endless possibilities!

Step by step instructions

  1. In a large pot over medium heat add aromatics (scallion whites and garlic) and cook until fragrant.
  2. Throw in greens (kale) and cook until wilted.
  3. Add liquid (chicken stock) and bring to a boil.
  4. Stir in pasta (orzo) and cook, uncovered, until soft.
  5. Top with citrus, herbs, cheese and serve.
Step by step images of how to make kale orzo salad.

How to serve

I like to make a double batch and serve half warm as a side dish. It makes a great addition to a simple meal of baked chicken thighs and green salad.

Orzo salad recipe served with salad and roast chicken thighs.

Then save the remaining and serve it as a cold salad for lunch the next day.

Served cold this orzo recipe makes a great packable lunch box meal or road trip food. Delicious and flavorful lemon, orzo, scallions, kale and parmesan really hit all the right notes for a well rounded lunch on-the-go. Especially with the addition of chicken.

📖 Recipe

Close up view of kale orzo salad recipe.

One Pot Lemony Kale Orzo Pilaf

One Pot Lemony Kale Orzo Pilaf is a flavorful and nutritious side that can be easily turned into a quick weeknight dinner or lunchbox meal.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 69kcal
Author: Tristin Rieken

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
  • 1 small bunch scallions sliced with whites and greens separate
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 medium bunch of kale washed well and torn into bite sized pieces
  • 1 small lemon zested and juiced
  • 1 32 ounce box low sodium chicken broth 4 cups
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 16 ounce package orzo
  • ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a large pan over medium. Add scallion whites only and cook until soft, about 1 minute. 
  • Add garlic, red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds before adding kale. Fry until wilted, about 1 minute.
  • Add chicken stock and ¼ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil.
  • Stir in lemon zest and orzo before reducing heat to medium. Simmer uncovered until orzo is tender, about 8 minutes. Stirring a few times to keep from sticking.
  • Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice and cool about 5 minutes. Then add paremesan and top with scallion greens.

Nutrition

Calories: 69kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 174mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 833IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 1mg
Made this recipe? Please share!Mention @freshflavorful or tag #FreshFlavorfulLife
Nutrition Facts
One Pot Lemony Kale Orzo Pilaf
Amount Per Serving
Calories 69 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 6mg2%
Sodium 174mg8%
Potassium 74mg2%
Carbohydrates 3g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 833IU17%
Vitamin C 17mg21%
Calcium 88mg9%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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    5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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  1. Maggie

    July 03, 2021 at 8:20 pm

    5 stars
    Awesome! Just finished making this and I’m in love 🙂 I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs & cooked them in my deep Le Creuset braising pan, then removed them until I finished this recipe. I deglazed the pan with some white cooking wine & I added some finely minced shallots with the green onions – other than that, I pretty-much just followed the recipe. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any fresh Parmesan to use (that would’ve been so much better) so used grated Parmesan from a container 🙁 I used more fresh lemon juice than called for because I love lemon. When the Orzo was done, I used my food shears to cut up the chicken thighs, stirring them into the Orzo mixture.

    Really wonderful recipe that I will definitely be making again! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Tristin Rieken

      July 04, 2021 at 10:05 am

      Ahhhh, thank you for sharing! I will for sure be making mine with chicken and deglazing with white wine next time too!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Tristin Rieken, Welcome to Fresh Flavorful where I hope to inspire you with simple seasonal recipes and ideas to eat deliciously, entertain easily and adventure often.

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