• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Family Food on the Table
  • Recipe Index
  • Main Dishes
  • Baby Food
  • Subscribe
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Main Dishes
  • Baby Food
  • Subscribe
  • About
×
Home » Recipes » Salads

Southwestern Orzo Salad

By: Kathryn Doherty | Last Updated: May 12, 2025 | Published: Apr 27, 2016
This post may contain affiliate links. See my 
disclosure policy.

Jump to Recipe
Pin

A cool, creamy southwestern orzo salad with black beans, veggies, queso fresco and an easy homemade cilantro-lime vinaigrette!

A large white bowl with orzo, zucchini, black beans, bell pepper and queso fresco in separate groups


 

Today's recipe for southwestern orzo salad is colorful, healthful and just full of flavor.

This snazzy, hearty little side dish is 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 always a good idea.

Separate bowls of orzo pasta, zucchini, black beans, chopped bell pepper, queso fresco and a creamy cilantro dressing

This orzo pasta salad is cool and creamy, with a hint of background spice from the jalapeño in the dressing.

It's also got a great bright, fresh flavor bursting through in every bite.

It's super versatile as well.

We recently 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 if you'd like.

A creamy cilantro dressing being poured over an orzo and veggie salad mix in a large bowl

I also love that this salad keeps well because the leftovers make a delicious lunch.

That also means it's a great one to meal prep or make ahead for a backyard BBQ party.

Make it earlier in the day and you have more time to relax.

It travels great, too, if you want to pack it up for a picnic or to take to a friend's house.

For a different twist, you might also want to check out this Mediterranean orzo salad.

Crumbled queso fresco being sprinkled onto a southwestern pasta salad with black beans and zucchini

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.

Queso fresco on top of a black bean pasta salad with a cilantro dressing drizzled over top

I hope you try this soon for a new go-to pasta salad!

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

A creamy cilantro dressing being poured over an orzo salad in a large white serving bowl with separate piles of black beans, zucchini, diced orange bell pepper and crumbled queso fresco before being mixed together.
PRINT PIN SaveSaved!
4 from 9 votes

Southwestern Orzo Salad

A cool, creamy southwestern orzo salad with black beans, veggies, queso fresco and an easy homemade cilantro-lime vinaigrette.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time10 minutes mins
Total Time25 minutes mins
Yield: 4 -6 servings

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.

Notes

This needs to be made in advance to allow the orzo 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 s not the whole box if yours comes in a 1 lb. package like mine. It’s about ⅔rds (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.
Dressing: The creamy 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.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 276mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below or follow me on Instagram @familyfoodonthetable and tag me in your photo!
Pin

More Salads

  • Close up of a wooden spoon resting in a large bowl of Asian style coleslaw with peanuts and ramen.
    Crunchy Asian Coleslaw with Ramen
  • Mediterranean Orzo Salad
  • Close up of an oval serving platter with a veggie loaded Mediterranean tuna salad garnished with fresh herbs and lemon slices.
    Mediterranean Tuna Salad
  • Close up of Mediterranean farro salad with olives and feta cheese in a large glass bowl with colorful throw towels nearby.
    Mediterranean Farro Salad

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dawn @ Girl Heart Food

    April 27, 2016 at 10:20 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      April 27, 2016 at 3:35 pm

      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

      Reply
  2. Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary

    April 27, 2016 at 4:25 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      April 28, 2016 at 10:08 am

      Feel free to keep it all to yourself, you know I don't judge 😉 XO

      Reply
  3. karrie@TastyEverAfter

    April 28, 2016 at 5:01 pm

    Loving how easy this recipe is! I know this will be on the menu lots for our summer cookouts this year 🙂

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      April 29, 2016 at 5:45 pm

      Perfect for cookouts! Have a great weekend Karrie 🙂

      Reply
  4. Frugal Hausfrau

    May 03, 2016 at 12:38 am

    Yum! Clean and fresh and just gorgeous! Thanks for linking up with us on Throwback Thursday!

    Mollie

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      May 03, 2016 at 2:44 pm

      Thanks Mollie!

      Reply
  5. Martie

    May 06, 2016 at 7:12 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      May 08, 2016 at 12:22 pm

      Thanks so much Martie 🙂 It's a great combination - perfect for spring!

      Reply
  6. CakePants

    May 06, 2016 at 10:46 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      May 08, 2016 at 12:22 pm

      It's definitely spoon-able 😉 And yes, cotija would be great here too!

      Reply
  7. Mimi

    May 07, 2017 at 7:55 am

    Great recipe, great video! I really never use orzo, I just use different pastas, or use grains. I need to buy some orzo!

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      May 07, 2017 at 6:45 pm

      Thanks Mimi! Orzo is always a fun pasta to incorporate!

      Reply
4 from 9 votes (9 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Meet Kathryn

Hi there! I’m Kathryn Doherty, a cookbook author, mom of two, and devoted food and home cooking nut. I’ve got lots of easy recipes to help you get delicious food on the table for your family!

More about me →

Popular Recipes

  • A cream cheese chicken and mushroom mixture in a large pan with a wooden spoon resting in it.
    Easy Cream Cheese Chicken
  • Close up of honey garlic chicken served in a blue and white bowl with sliced green onions on top.
    Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
  • Close up of a whole roasted chicken on a large white serving platter with veggies and fresh parsley to the side.
    Easy Whole Roasted Chicken
  • Close up of a fork resting in a bowl of rice and curried ground turkey with peas.
    Curry Ground Turkey with Rice and Peas
  • Close up of a wooden spoon drizzling pan gravy over seared pork chops.
    Easy Skillet Pork Chops with Gravy
  • Close up of a dark skillet with a saucy honey garlic chicken dish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions sprinkled on top.
    15-Minute Honey Garlic Chicken

Footer

↑back to top

About

  • Contact
  • Work With Me

Newsletter

  • Sign up for emails!

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright
  • Accessibility

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 Family Food on the Table

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.