Hamdi Saidani Barefoot Contessa Orzo Salad With Cucumber Recipe is a bright American side dish for summer. This pasta salad uses crunchy hothouse cucumbers, fresh dill, and salty feta cheese tossed in a sharp lemon vinaigrette.
If you do nothing else, salt the cucumbers and let them sit in a sieve for at least thirty minutes. That’s the difference between a crisp, vibrant salad and a soggy bowl of watered-down pasta. The salt pulls out the extra moisture so the lemon dressing actually sticks to the vegetables instead of sliding off.
The toasted pine nuts are doing more work than you’d think here. Without them, the dish feels a bit flat and soft. I always give them a few minutes in a dry pan until they’re golden and smelling like butter. It adds a woody depth that balances out all that sharp citrus and vinegary feta.
Barefoot Contessa Orzo Salad With Cucumber Recipe Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 lb (450g) orzo pasta
- 2 cups (300g) hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
- 1/2 cup (75g) red onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup (75g) dried cranberries
- 3/4 cup (115g) feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup (60g) pine nuts, toasted
- 1/4 cup (10g) fresh dill, minced
- 1/4 cup (10g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
For the Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup (120ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 cup (120ml) good olive oil
- 2 tsp (10g) kosher salt
- 1 tsp (5g) freshly ground black pepper
How To Make Barefoot Contessa Orzo Salad With Cucumber Recipe
- 1. Prepare the cucumbers: Toss the diced cucumber with a teaspoon of salt in a colander set over a bowl. Let them stand for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
- This step is vital because hothouse cucumbers still hold a lot of liquid. If you skip this, that water will pool at the bottom of your serving bowl and ruin the texture of the pasta.
- 2. Boil the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil with two tablespoons of salt. Add the orzo and cook according to the package directions until it’s just tender.
- 3. Drain and cool: Pour the pasta into a large colander and shake it well to remove all the water. Transfer the warm orzo to a large mixing bowl.
- 4. Whisk the dressing: Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, two teaspoons of salt, and one teaspoon of pepper in a small bowl or jar. Shake or whisk until the oil and juice aren’t separated anymore.
- 5. Toss the pasta: Pour the dressing over the warm orzo and stir it well so every grain is coated. Let the pasta sit for 15 minutes to soak up the liquid.
- Adding the vinaigrette while the pasta is still hot is the only way to get real flavor into the orzo. If you wait until it’s cold, the dressing just sits on the surface like a film.
- 6. Combine everything: Pat the cucumbers dry with a paper towel and add them to the bowl with the onion, cranberries, feta, pine nuts, dill, and parsley. Fold everything together gently with a large spoon.
- 7. Final rest: Taste the salad for seasoning and add more salt or pepper if it needs a boost. Let it sit for another 30 minutes before serving so the herbs can flavor the whole dish.
Recipe Tips
- Use hothouse cucumbers specifically. These are the long ones wrapped in plastic, sometimes called English cucumbers. They have much thinner skin and smaller seeds than the standard garden variety, so you don’t have to peel them.
- Toast the pine nuts carefully. These nuts go from pale to burnt in about thirty seconds. Put them in a dry skillet over medium heat and shake the pan constantly until you see a light tan color and smell a nutty aroma.
- Chop the herbs right before adding. Fresh dill and parsley lose their bright scent quickly once they’re cut. If you mince them too early, they’ll turn dark and look bruised in the salad.
- Don’t overcook the orzo. Since the pasta sits in acidic lemon juice, it’ll soften slightly as it marinates. Aim for a firm bite when you drain it so it doesn’t turn into mush by the time you eat.
- Adjust the salt at the end. Feta cheese is naturally very salty, so the amount of extra salt you need depends on the brand of cheese you buy. Always taste a big spoonful with a bit of everything before you decide to add more.
- Cool the pasta before adding cheese. If the orzo is still steaming hot when the feta goes in, the cheese will melt and make the salad look cloudy. Wait until the bowl feels barely warm to the touch.
What To Serve With Orzo Salad With Cucumber
Grilled chicken or some flaky white fish works well with these flavors. The lemon in the dressing acts like a built-in sauce for any simple protein you put on the plate.
If you’re having a big summer spread, a tray of roasted peppers or some crusty sourdough bread is a good match. A chilled glass of white wine or some sparkling water with extra lemon wedges rounds it out nicely.
How To Store Orzo Salad With Cucumber
- Fridge: Keep the salad in an airtight glass container for up to three days. The cucumbers will stay crunchy for the first 24 hours, but they’ll start to soften a bit after that.
- Reheat: You shouldn’t reheat this dish at all. It’s meant to be eaten at room temperature or slightly chilled from the fridge. If it feels too dry after sitting, just stir in a tiny splash of olive oil to loosen it up.
- Freeze: Don’t put this in the freezer because the cucumbers and feta will change texture completely when they thaw. The pasta will also get grainy and unpleasant, so it’s best to make this fresh.
Barefoot Contessa Orzo Salad With Cucumber Recipe Nutrition Facts
Per serving (1 of 6):
- Calories: 410 kcal
- Protein: 11g
- Fat: 24g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 890mg
FAQs
Can I use a different pasta for this Barefoot Contessa Orzo Salad With Cucumber Recipe?
Yes, you can use any small shape like ditalini or even Israeli couscous. Just make sure the pieces are roughly the same size as the diced cucumber so you get a bit of everything in each bite.
Do I have to use dried cranberries?
No, you can swap them for golden raisins or even chopped dried apricots if you prefer. They’re there to provide a tiny bit of sweetness that cuts through the sharp lemon and salty cheese.
Can I make Barefoot Contessa Orzo Salad With Cucumber Recipe a day ahead?
Yes, you can make it the night before, but keep the pine nuts and fresh herbs separate. Stir them in just before you serve the dish so the nuts stay crunchy and the dill stays bright green.
How do I stop the red onion from being too sharp?
Soak the chopped onions in a bowl of cold water for ten minutes before adding them to the salad. This washes away the harsh sulfur compounds so you get the flavor without the stinging bite.
Is there a substitute for pine nuts?
Slivered almonds or chopped walnuts work perfectly if you don’t have pine nuts on hand. Just be sure to toast them first so they have that same deep, roasted flavor.
Try More Recipes:
Barefoot Contessa Orzo Salad With Cucumber Recipe
Description
Barefoot Contessa Orzo Salad With Cucumber Recipe is a bright American side dish for summer. This pasta salad uses crunchy hothouse cucumbers, fresh dill, and salty feta cheese tossed in a sharp lemon vinaigrette.
Ingredients
For the Salad
For the Vinaigrette
Instructions
-
Prepare the cucumbers: Toss the diced cucumber with a teaspoon of salt in a colander set over a bowl. Let them stand for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
This step is vital because hothouse cucumbers still hold a lot of liquid. If you skip this, that water will pool at the bottom of your serving bowl and ruin the texture of the pasta.
-
2. Boil the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil with two tablespoons of salt. Add the orzo and cook according to the package directions until it’s just tender.
-
3. Drain and cool: Pour the pasta into a large colander and shake it well to remove all the water. Transfer the warm orzo to a large mixing bowl.
-
4. Whisk the dressing: Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, two teaspoons of salt, and one teaspoon of pepper in a small bowl or jar. Shake or whisk until the oil and juice aren’t separated anymore.
-
5. Toss the pasta: Pour the dressing over the warm orzo and stir it well so every grain is coated. Let the pasta sit for 15 minutes to soak up the liquid.
Adding the vinaigrette while the pasta is still hot is the only way to get real flavor into the orzo. If you wait until it’s cold, the dressing just sits on the surface like a film.
-
6. Combine everything: Pat the cucumbers dry with a paper towel and add them to the bowl with the onion, cranberries, feta, pine nuts, dill, and parsley. Fold everything together gently with a large spoon.
- 7. Final rest: Taste the salad for seasoning and add more salt or pepper if it needs a boost. Let it sit for another 30 minutes before serving so the herbs can flavor the whole dish.
