Spring has finally arrived. The hills are green again, the trees are starting to bloom, and it feels like the perfect moment to step away from soups and hot dishes and start thinking about the meals that come with the season ahead.
This is the time of year for eating outside: picnics, patio dinners, and gatherings with family and friends. St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, and Memorial Day weekend are all just around the corner, and they always seem to revolve around good food, good wine, and good company.
Every spring I try to find something easy, fresh, flexible and new, to add to the menu. A dish that can stand on its own as a light main course or sit happily on the table as a side. Something that tastes like the season.
This Spring Orzo Pasta Salad checks all the boxes. It’s bright, savory, and incredibly simple to make. Perfect for packing up for a picnic or bringing to a gathering. Tender orzo is tossed with fresh herbs and a light lemon-mustard dressing that brings everything to life. Crisp sugar snap peas add a sweet spring crunch, while delicate microgreens give it that just-picked freshness. Add in shredded chicken and little pearls of mozzarella and you end up with a dish that feels both light and satisfying.
It’s the kind of salad that tastes even better as it sits, making it ideal for making ahead and taking along wherever the day leads.
The girls in the tasting room gave it five stars.
Now, that might have something to do with the fact that they hadn’t eaten all day—but either way, I’m calling it a win.
Spring Orzo Pasta Salad
Ingredients
1 cup Orzo uncooked
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 bunch Radishes, thinly sliced
8 oz Sugar Snap Peas, sliced at a diagonal
1 Shallot, thinly sliced
1 cup Snow Pea Shoots Micro Greens or other micro greens of choice
1/4 cup Fresh Dill
1/4 cup Fresh Basil
2 tbsp Fresh Mint
1/3 cup Sunflower Seeds, I used salted and roasted
4 oz Fresh Mozzarella Pearls
Chicken
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper enough to season chicken
1 lb Chicken Breast
4 cups Chicken Broth
Dressing
1 Lemon juice and zest
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 cloves Garlic minced
2 tsp Honey
1/4 tsp Salt, additional to taste
1/4 tsp Black Pepper, additional to taste
1/4 cup Olive Oil additional as needed
Recipe Instructions
- Cook orzo according to package instructions. Drain and set aside to cool for the salad. Toss with 1 tbsp of olive oil so the orzo doesn't stick together.
- In a large bowl, add the thinly sliced radishes, sliced sugar snap peas, thinly sliced shallots, micro greens, fresh dill, fresh basil, and fresh mint. Toss to combine.
- Add the cooled cooked orzo, cooled cooked shredded chicken, sunflower seeds, and fresh mozzarella balls.
- Just before serving, pour the dressing on the salad and toss until everything is well combined.
Chicken
- Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large high-rimmed sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes or until the chicken flips easily. Pour in the chicken broth, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer.
- Cook for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and shred using two forks. Set aside to cool for the salad.
Dressing
- Whisk together all ingredients except for the olive oil. Once the ingredients are well combined, drizzle in the olive oil while continuing to whisk until the dressing is well emulsified, you can also use a immersion blender – that is what I used.
