This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Lemony orzo salad with rotisserie chicken, tomatoes and crumbled goat cheese is an excellent light dinner (that makes fabulous lunch leftovers)!
This is your answer to the post-holiday slump and to all the New Years hopes for lighter eating with great taste. It’s a super simple – and fast – recipe to throw together, it’s all kinds of healthy and it has BIG flavor.
I took this orzo salad to a friend of mine a few months ago who had just had twins. A group of us went up to visit, take dinner (and some extras) and help out. Those were two precious little girls I got to hold and love on.
How quickly you forget how tiny they are! Or maybe it’s because my “baby” (age 2), J, is such a big boy. I don’t know why I lift weights when he’s always in my arms…
Later that week, the new mama emailed me and said they had eaten the entire batch of this orzo chicken salad in a couple of days. She said they were eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner; couldn’t get enough! That’s new parents for you – your energy is low, your appetite is huge and you will shovel anything into your mouth with a free hand whenever you can.
Now I don’t know about breakfast, but this lemony orzo salad with chicken and goat cheese makes a fabulous light dinner and the leftovers will garner you some serious lunch envy at the office. Or among your Instagram friends if you’re chowing down at home and happen to pause to snap a picture. (Come follow me and tag me if you do! I love to see your creations!) I do more plowing through this than pausing, but that’s just me 😉
Those twin baby girls are growing up fast and I can’t wait to go back for a visit. (And I know what I’ll be bringing!)
Enjoy the rest of the holiday season, and I’m wishing you a happy, healthy New Year!
Lemony orzo chicken salad
Lemony orzo salad with rotisserie chicken, tomatoes, zucchini and crumbled goat cheese is an easy 15-minute dinner!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. orzo pasta (whole wheat preferably)
- 2 zucchini, diced small
- zest and juice of 2 lemons
- 3 cups diced leftover cooked or rotisserie chicken
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
Instructions
- Cook the orzo according to package directions.
- Chop the zucchini and place it in a large bowl. Once the orzo is ready, drain it and add it on top of the zucchini (which helps soften the raw zucchini just slightly). Add the zest and juice of the lemon on top of the hot orzo (the heat enhances the flavor and smell).
- Add the chicken, tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper and mix well to combine. Add the goat cheese and stir to combine, being careful not to break it up too much.
- You can add in some reserved cooking liquid if needed to help all the ingredients meld together.
- Serve and enjoy! Leftovers are great cold, too.
Recipe Notes
If you don’t have any leftover or rotisserie chicken, you can sprinkle 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts with salt and pepper, paprika and a little garlic powder then bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then slice and dice and it’s ready to go.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving Size | |
| Amount Per Serving | As Served |
| Calories 803kcal Calories from fat 266 | |
| % Daily Value | |
| Total Fat 30g | 46% |
| Saturated Fat 9g | 45% |
| Transfat 0g | |
| Cholesterol 89mg | 30% |
| Sodium 552mg | 23% |
| Carbohydrate 93g | 31% |
| Dietary Fiber 6g | 24% |
| Sugars 8g | |
| Protein 40g | |
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:
| Calories | 2000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Fat | Less than | 65g |
| Sat Fat | Less than | 25g |
| Cholesterol | Less than | 300mg |
| Sodium | Less than | 2,400mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 300g | |
| Dietary Fiber | 25g | |
Adina says
December 28, 2015 at 4:45 AMI just love this kind of salad and my kids too. I will keep it in mind!
Kathryn says
December 28, 2015 at 12:24 PMHow could this not sound good, right?! Hope you all love it, Adina!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
December 28, 2015 at 8:36 AMThis orzo salad looks absolutely delicious, Kathryn! I looove how lemon can brighten the flavor of a dish, and the use of it here sounds amazing. Plus you added goat cheese, Umm yes please!! I can see why your friends were eating this for breakfast! No shame in that game! Salad perfection! Cheers, girlfriend- to a wonderful new year! Xo
Kathryn says
December 28, 2015 at 12:26 PMThanks Cheyanne! Lemon really does some amazing things to a dish… and I need a little lightening and brightening after all the holiday craziness! And yes, goat cheese can ALWAYS be found in my fridge 😉 Cheers girl!
Cathleen @ A Taste Of Madness says
December 28, 2015 at 2:00 PMHope you have a great new year! This looks like a great salad! I need to try orzo sometime…
Kathryn says
December 29, 2015 at 6:02 AMThanks Cathleen! You definitely need to give orzo a try – it’s such a fun pasta 🙂 Happy New Year to you too!
skd says
January 1, 2016 at 7:29 AMDelicious food😋
Kathryn says
January 1, 2016 at 6:46 PMThanks! It really is! 🙂
Meaghan @ 4 Sons 'R' Us says
January 4, 2016 at 10:51 AMOh, I love this. We love orzo, so this will be a great change of pace, especially after all the over-indulgence with the holidays. Bring on the fresh, healthy flavors 🙂 Thanks for bringing this to the Throwback Thursday link party this week!
Kathryn says
January 4, 2016 at 9:56 PMI love how fast orzo is – and how versatile! And yes to all the fresh, healthy flavors I can get this month!
Petra @ CrumblesAndKale says
January 5, 2016 at 5:05 PMWow this looks great! Ozro is one of those things I really miss since I stopped eating pasta due to allergies. But I think I will try making this with with my bean-pasta instead because Im so ready to leave all the heavy chistmas-food behind.
Kathryn says
January 5, 2016 at 8:27 PMI’d love to hear how it turns out with the bean pasta! I bet it’s just as light and fresh as the original – and I’m with you on needing a break from all the heavy holiday food!
Carlee says
January 6, 2016 at 7:38 AMThis does look delicious, I can see why they gobbled it up so quickly. Plus at that stage in the game, even warming something up can seem a little overwhelming so this is perfect!
Kathryn says
January 6, 2016 at 7:59 PMSo true, Carlee! Anything you can put directly in your mouth from a bowl is a winner when such tiny infants. I was happy to deliver a little bit of help in that area 🙂
Monique says
January 9, 2016 at 11:43 AMI wish these recipes had d calorie and fat info
Kathryn says
January 10, 2016 at 8:35 AMThanks for the feedback Monique! It’s something I am considering adding, so I’m glad to know you would find it helpful. Stay tuned!
SaraLily says
January 13, 2016 at 8:52 AMoh this looks spectacular! I love simple salads like this! Yum!
Kathryn says
January 13, 2016 at 8:39 PMThanks! Simple, fresh salads are the best 🙂 I hope you enjoy it!
Philip Orr says
August 30, 2017 at 7:12 PMI added a jar of marinated artichoke hearts before adding in the cheese. It was a delicious addition.
Kathryn says
August 31, 2017 at 6:11 AMThat sounds yummy! So glad you enjoyed it Philip!
Mary Beth Einerson says
September 17, 2017 at 8:26 AMLoved this! Orzo is one of my favorite pastas. So simple to put together with all of the flavors of late summer.
Kathryn says
September 17, 2017 at 12:33 PMI’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it Mary Beth! 😊
Krueger says
March 14, 2018 at 3:31 AMI just made this today, and I’ll definitely make it again. I went by the recipe, but I’m just not crazy for cherry tomatoes. Is there another suggestion you would recommend that would give it a nice pop of flavor in place of the cherry tomatoes? Also, when stirring the crumbled goat cheese, I tried not to break it up, but it just kind of disintegrated into the mix. Is this because the orzo is too warm and would you suggest mixing the cheese after it is refrigerated? Thank you.
Kathryn says
March 14, 2018 at 8:08 PMHi there! The goat cheese may have just melted into the dish if your orzo was super hot. You can always crumble the goat cheese directly on top of each serving when you’re ready to eat (and put any extra in the dish after it’s cooled). The cherry tomatoes give it a sweetness but also the juicy pop, and I’m not sure there’s an exact substitution. Chopped red bell pepper would add some sweetness and some olives might add a good juicy texture. I hope that helps!
Krueger says
March 15, 2018 at 3:28 AMThank you so much for your feedback! I will try that. One last thing I want to know is if the pasta left overs need some freshening up after being refrigerated, do you recommend perhaps just a squeeze of Lemon? Or does it require another drizzle of olive oil? I’m sorry, I’m a newbie to cooking, but I have enjoyed learning a few of your other recipes this far 🙂
Kathryn says
March 15, 2018 at 11:52 AMI’m so happy you found me! Yes – I do like adding a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten up the leftovers. A drizzle of olive oil would be great too. Or even some balsamic vinegar!