Grilled Vegetable & Orzo Salad

The food at a summer cookout can often sit a bit heavy. Let's face it, the menu is usually pretty meat-centric... burgers, sausages, ribs. And the closest thing to a vegetable is usually a slaw or potato salad. To be clear, I enjoy each and everyone of these BBQ staples. But I thought it high time to inject some fresh flavor and vegetables into our cookout lineup!

My Grilled Vegetable and Orzo Salad is just that! Chunks of warm, grilled veggies tossed together with orzo in an herby, Mediterranean style dressing.

Here, I've opted to complete the salad with a few slices of marinated and grilled chicken. However, alone, this Orzo Salad serves as an excellent side dish at your next BBQ. It's easy to prep in advance and can be served warm or room-temperature.

Grilled Vegetable & Orzo Salad

Ingredients

For the chicken

· 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

· 1 tbsp olive oil

· Zest and juice of a lemon

· 3 tbsp Dijon mustard

· 1 tsp salt

· 1 tsp dried dill

· 1 tsp dried parsley

· 1 tsp dried oregano

· ½ tsp black pepper

For the vegetables

· ½ red onion

· 1 zucchini

· 1 red pepper

· 1 yellow squash

· Olive oil

· Salt & pepper

For the salad

· 3 tbsp red vinegar

· 2 tsp honey

· 2 tsp Dijon mustard

· Juice of a lemon

· 1 tbsp olive oil

· 1 tbsp fresh mint, minced

· 1 tbsp fresh dill, minced

· 1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced

· ¼ tsp salt

· ¼ tsp pepper

· 2oz feta, diced

· 1 cup dry orzo, cooked per package instructions

For the chicken…Place the chicken breasts flat in a large gallon-sized plastic bag. Remove the air from the bag and seal closed. Using a meat mallet, pound the chicken to a uniform thickness. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients for the chicken. Pour the marinade over the chicken in the bag. Ensure each piece of chicken is coated with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or over-night.

For the vegetables… cut the red onion into very large slices leaving the rings intact. Remove the ends from the zucchini and then slice in half lengthwise. Remove the stem and seeds from the bell peppers and cut into 4 flat sections. Remove the ends from the yellow squash and then slice in half length wise. Drizzle each of the veggies with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to grill.

For the salad…In the bottom of a large salad bowl, whisk together the vinegar, honey, Dijon, lemon juice, olive oil, herbs, and salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to grill.

Preheat you grill to high heat. Place each of your veggies cut-side down on the grill. Grill over high heat for about 3-4 minutes until developing nice grill marks. Flip each veggie and grill for another 3 minutes or so. Take care not to overcook. The veggies should be warmed through, but still crisp. Remove from the heat.

Reduce the grill heat to medium-high. Remove some excess marinade from the chicken pieces. Cook over medium-high heat on the grill for 7-8 minutes per side (or roast in the oven at 425 for 22 minutes). Allow the chicken to rest under foil for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

While the chicken cooks, chop the veggies into bite-sized chunks and add to the salad bowl. Toss to coat the warm veggies in the salad dressing. Add the cooked orzo and feta chunks, and stir to combine.

Once the chicken has rested, slice or dice. Toss the chicken into the orzo salad. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4

Notes

For this recipe, I prefer picking up chunk feta cheese as opposed to the crumbles. I find the texture creamier.

GF Friendly

Gluten Free Friendly!

You can find gluten free orzo online. Delallo makes a great GF orzo!