This orzo pasta salad with feta cheese, juicy pomegranates, dried cranberries, and a sweet-tangy vinaigrette is the best combination! It makes an easy, festive side dish any time of the year.
I love tender orzo in warm recipes, from orzo pilaf to chicken orzo. And it’s just as delicious in cold dishes, like my salad with orzo and feta and this fresh and zesty orzo pasta salad!
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Are you ready for my latest winter salad obsession? It’s a fresh, zesty orzo pasta salad with feta cheese, bejeweled with ruby red pomegranate seeds and dried cranberries. Basically, it has all the festive colors and flavors I love in one bowl, tossed with a zesty vinaigrette dressing. I say this is a winter salad, but really, it’s just as delicious year-round and you can easily adapt it with seasonal ingredients.
Reasons to Love This Orzo Pasta Salad
- Sweet, salty, tangy contrast. This orzo salad recipe has it all. There’s tender orzo pasta and crumbly, salty feta cheese contrasted with sweet cranberry and pomegranate. It’s totally mouthwatering, and the ingredients are easy to find.
- Quick. The longest step is waiting for the orzo to cook! I usually get the pasta boiling while I seed the pomegranate (don’t worry, I’ll walk you through how to do that, too).
- Versatile. The flexibility of this salad recipe makes it perfect for a potluck, holiday, or flavorful weekday lunch.
What You’ll Need
I dress this salad with a zesty, tangy cranberry and pomegranate vinaigrette. Of course, you can easily swap in your favorite dressing, or try any of my easy homemade salad dressings if you’d like something different. For now, I’ll cover the ingredients in the salad and dressing below.Â
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for the full amounts and details, plus step-by-step instructions with photos.
- Orzo – You’ll need cooked orzo pasta (yes, orzo is pasta, not rice!). You’ll find it in most grocery store aisles alongside other short-cut pasta shapes.
- Feta Cheese – In my Macedonian family, we measure white cheese, aka feta, with our hearts. You can use more or less depending on what yours tells you. If you don’t have feta, goat cheese, shaved parmesan, or gorgonzola, like in my orzo salad, it also works well in this recipe.
- Pomegranate – You can buy the seeds known as arils already removed or buy a whole pomegranate and seed it yourself, see below.
- Dried Cranberries – In place of cranberries, you could use dried cherries or even chopped nuts like walnuts, pecans, or almonds for extra texture.
- Parsley – Fresh is best for garnish. Feel free to substitute another herb, like basil, mint, or thyme.
For the Dressing
- Olive Oil – You’ll want to use high-quality extra virgin olive oil. Avocado oil is a good substitute if needed.
- Cranberry and Pomegranate Juice – Choose your favorite brands from the store.
- Vinegar – I use red wine vinegar, but you can also use white wine vinegar, balsamic, or lemon juice.
How to Seed a Pomegranate (Easily)
A quick online search will show you dozens of ways to open up and seed a pomegranate. I’ve used the same method for years and it hasn’t failed me yet! Here’s how I get the seeds out of pomegranate in 5 steps, with minimal clean-up:
- Trim off the top and bottom using a sharp paring knife.
- Score the pomegranate along its ridges.
- Gently pry the pomegranate apart along the score marks using both hands.
- Submerge the segments in a bowl of water and use your hands to release the seeds (the seeds should sink to the bottom).
- Scoop out any pithy membrane bits from the bowl, then strain the seeds.
Orzo Salad Variations
- Different pasta. Instead of orzo, you can use any short-cut pasta you’d like. Good choices for pasta salad are small shells, elbow macaroni, penne, fusilli, and bowtie pasta.
- Veggies. Add blanched or steamed broccoli, cauliflower, kale, spinach, celery, or spring onions.
- Protein. Add cubed or sliced cooked chicken, whether it’s leftover baked chicken or an air fryer rotisserie chicken. You can also top this salad with steak bites, salmon, or any protein you’d like.
- More add-ons. Other tasty add-ins that would suit this salad include chopped apples, diced avocado, cooked crumbled bacon, crushed nuts, pepitas, and sunflower seeds.
Serving Suggestions
This sweet-savory orzo pasta salad is delicious as a side dish or appetizer salad. I love making this whenever I’m hosting a holiday or special occasion, like our Macedonian Name Days (an even bigger deal than a birthday!). In that case, the whole family comes over to feast on sheet pan salmon, spinach pie, and cabbage rolls, a.k.a. sarma.Â
On any other occasion, I’ll serve this salad as a side to a festive pork roast or a casual backyard barbecue of baby back ribs and grilled corn on the cob in the summer. It’s super versatile.
How to Store
Store this pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy leftovers for up to 2 days. I find it tastes even better once the flavors have had a chance to mingle!
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Cook the orzo. Boil the orzo pasta according to the directions on the box. Remove from heat; drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside to cool.
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Assemble the salad. In a large serving bowl or salad bowl, combine the cooled orzo, feta cheese, pomegranates, and cranberries. Set aside.
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Make the dressing. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, cranberry juice, pomegranate juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper; whisk until thoroughly incorporated. Taste and adjust accordingly.
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Combine. Add as much dressing as you want to the prepared orzo salad. Refrigerate any remaining salad dressing. Toss the pasta salad, cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
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Serve. Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy!
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 147mg | Potassium: 132mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 57IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make Orzo Pasta Salad
This pasta salad with orzo comes together in about 25 minutes if you include the time it takes to boil the orzo. Here’s how to make it:
- Cook the orzo. First, boil the orzo following the directions on the box, then immediately drain and rinse the pasta under cold water. This stops it from overcooking.
- Assemble the salad. Next, combine the orzo, feta, and the rest of the salad ingredients in a bowl.
- Add the dressing. Whisk the dressing together separately, and pour it over the salad to taste. Afterward, toss everything to coat.
- Chill. Finally, refrigerate the orzo pasta salad for at least 20 minutes before garnishing with parsley and serving.
