A cool, creamy southwestern orzo salad with black beans, veggies, queso fresco and an easy homemade cilantro-lime vinaigrette!
I sure hope spring is in full swing where you are by now.
I’m seeing that it’s almost May and I’m breaking out my shorts and flip flops, planting my garden veggies and flowers and setting my sights on all the summer salads and picnic and BBQ sides. ❤️
Like today's recipe for southwestern orzo salad.
It’s a hearty side dish, full of black beans and fresh veggies, and has a creamy cilantro-lime dressing that takes just minutes to make in your blender and coats every last bit of pasta.
Plus, we're adding some crumbled queso fresco for an extra dose of creaminess. Cause cheese is never a bad idea.
I also love that this salad keeps well because the leftovers make a delicious lunch.
Last time I made it, I actually just snacked on the leftovers mid-afternoon. Don't judge.
And of course, whenever there’s food out, my little munchkins come running. They are totally my kids. 😉
I offered them a small bite and they both loved this southwestern orzo salad! Kept wanting one more bite, and pretty soon, my snack was gone and I was still hungry.
Ah, motherhood...
So of course I made this salad again the next weekend for us all to enjoy and we chowed down happily, each with our own bowl full. Cause mama’s not big on sharing. Just being honest!
This orzo pasta salad is cool and creamy, with a hint of background spice from the jalapeño in the dressing. Don't worry though, it's not spicy or my kids would have been dramatically grabbing at their tongues.
It's also got a great bright, fresh flavor bursting through in every bite.
We ate it with some spice-rubbed pork chops, but it would go equally well with chicken or steak or anything from the grill.
You could even stir in some leftover grilled or rotisserie chicken and make this a full meal.
Recipe Notes:
- You need to make this salad in advance to allow the orzo time to cool, so please plan accordingly.
- Orzo: I like to get whole wheat orzo when I can find it, but it’s not available in many stores. Also, this recipe calls for 10 oz., which is not the whole box if yours comes in a 1 lb. package like mine. It’s about ⅔rds of the box (I eyeball it).
- Cheese: Queso fresco, or queso blanco, is a mild white Mexican cheese. It’s available in most grocery stores, but if you can’t find it, you can substitute a mild feta cheese (a French style one, not a Greek one) or a mild goat cheese.
If you're making this ahead, I recommend you keep the dressing separate and mix it into the orzo salad just before you serve it, so the flavors stay nice and bright and fresh.
You can also add some extra lime juice and cilantro to punch up the flavors when serving. Or to help the leftovers wake up a bit.
Also, in terms of the dressing...
The homemade cilantro lime dressing is so quick and easy to make in a blender. But you could substitute a similar store-bought dressing if you prefer.
It’s a perfect warm weather salad and can travel well if you’re visiting friends or the park.
I like that you can make a big batch to feed a crowd or to have leftovers for lunch or snacking. Assuming you’re lucky enough to get to actually get to eat the leftovers yourself.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Southwestern Orzo Salad
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 10 oz. orzo pasta (see notes)
- 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium zucchini, diced small
- 1 medium bell pepper (I prefer yellow or orange, but any color will do), diced small
- ½ cup crumbled queso fresco cheese, plus extra for serving
For the cilantro lime dressing:
- ¼ cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded for less heat
- ½ cup packed cilantro leaves
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the orzo in salted water, according to package directions.
- In the meantime, add the chopped zucchini to a large bowl.
- Drain the orzo pasta and pour over the chopped raw zucchini in the bowl. This helps soften the zucchini slightly. Let the pasta cool.
- Once cooled, stir in the black beans, peppers and queso fresco. You can refrigerate the salad at this point if you’d like.
- Make the easy creamy cilantro-lime vinaigrette. Combine all ingredients in a blender or immersion blend. Blend until smooth. If making ahead, store the dressing separately in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, stir the dressing into the salad, mixing well to combine.
- Serve the orzo salad cold or at room temperature with extra queso fresco crumbled on top.
Dawn @ Girl Heart Food
What a beautiful and fresh salad! Snow hear again last night so no flip flops or shorts here for me just yet, but I can certainly eat this salad and dream of sunny days.....I absolutely love the lime cilantro vinaigrette you have on here. I guess that's a good thing that you didn't get to eat a lot first time 'round...that means everyone loved it 🙂 Pinning for later. Have a lovely upcoming weekend, girl!
Kathryn
I will send you some sunny vibes Dawn! And hope for spring weather to break through soon. In the meantime, yes, you should definitely eat like it's in the 70s and 80s 🙂 XO
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary
Oh I love love looove anything southwestern, especially when it's a light dish like this! This orzo looks fabulous, Kathryn! You packed this beauty with a ton of delicious ingredients and that creamy, zest vinaigrette sounds like the perfect way to finish this off! Makes me thankful I don't have kids, because I know I'm not going to want to share this dish! 😉 Pinned! Cheers, friend!
Kathryn
Feel free to keep it all to yourself, you know I don't judge 😉 XO
karrie@TastyEverAfter
Loving how easy this recipe is! I know this will be on the menu lots for our summer cookouts this year 🙂
Kathryn
Perfect for cookouts! Have a great weekend Karrie 🙂
Frugal Hausfrau
Yum! Clean and fresh and just gorgeous! Thanks for linking up with us on Throwback Thursday!
Mollie
Kathryn
Thanks Mollie!
Martie
Orzo is absolutely one of my favorite foods, and this recipe looks delicious! I took a peek over at the dressing recipe, and I am going to have to try this whole kit and kaboodle. Thanks for sharing on #FoodieFriDIY!
Kathryn
Thanks so much Martie 🙂 It's a great combination - perfect for spring!
CakePants
This looks like the perfect meal for warmer weather! The creamy lime cilantro vinaigrette looks like something I could eat by the spoonful, and I agree - cheese is never a bad idea! I've got a chunk of cotija I need to use up, so I'm thinking I could use that in place of the queso fresco in this recipe.
Kathryn
It's definitely spoon-able 😉 And yes, cotija would be great here too!
Mimi
Great recipe, great video! I really never use orzo, I just use different pastas, or use grains. I need to buy some orzo!
Kathryn
Thanks Mimi! Orzo is always a fun pasta to incorporate!