Summer Fresh Recipe Series: Spinach Orzo Salad with Chickpeas

A healthy and delicious salad that is perfect for warm 

weather days!

Everyone loves a good pasta salad, and everyone needs a few in their go-to recipes to make quickly for weekend cookouts, potlucks, family gatherings, and picnics.  This is one of those recipes!  Simple, quick, and very tasty.  This is why this is my 15th installment of my Summer Fresh Recipe Series.  We all need items that use fresh summer produce and are quick and easy to make.  

SPINACH ORZO SALAD WITH CHICKPEAS

Today's pasta salad recipe highlights some great produce that makes this one extra fresh.   The pasta is kept on the small side by using orzo, then we add in some baby spinach, parsley, and green onions for texture and flavor, and then some wonderful grape tomatoes that are at their peak right now. The additional of chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) add protein and give this salad a little more heartiness.  I've also included a great little dressing for you that's simple and quick and give some zip to the salad with the addition of some lemon and hot sauce.  

This is the perfect side dish because it goes with everything from grilled meats, burgers and hot dogs, to sandwiches.  This will hold up well in the heat since there is no dairy.  You can also prepare this ahead and just leave off the dressing until you are ready to serve.  It's best served at room temperature but any leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (if they last that long!). 

This salad was a complete hit and is definitely on my "repeat list" for side dishes this summer.  

 

Enjoy!

Additional pasta salads you may enjoy:

Orzo Black Bean Salad

Summer Bounty Vegetable Pasta Salad

The BEST Broccoli Pasta Salad

Fresh Italian Pesto Pasta Salad

Lynn's Chicken Pasta Salad

Summer Fresh Recipe Series

• Cherry Almond Muffins
• Watermelon Salad Mediterranean Style
• Chicken Fajita Kabobs
• Refreshing Melon Salad
• Peach Blueberry & Ginger Crisp
• Grilled Sirloin Steak with Garlic Herb Vinaigrette
• Grilled Vegetable Platter
• Sirloin Steak topped with Herb Salsa with Roasted Potatoes & Carrots
• Lemon Blueberry Scones
• Grilled Honey Ginger Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Apricots & Brocollini
• Lemon Raspberry Dutch Baby
• Simple Mediterranean Salad
• Grilled Chicken Kofta
• Greek Cobb Salad

Spinach Orzo Salad with Chickpeas

serves: 6

1 cup chicken broth, low sodium
3/4 cup orzo pasta
2 cup fresh baby spinach
1 cup grape tomatoes, havled
1 can (15oz) chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed 
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 green onion, sliced

Dressing:
2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp lemon zest
1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
pinch garlic powder
a dash or hot pepper sauce
pinch pepper

In a medium saucepan bring broth to a boil.  Add the orzo, stir and return to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer covered.  Cook 8 minutes until al dente.  Drain if needed.

In a large bowl toss spinach and warm orzo, to allow spinach to wilt slightly.  Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, parsley and green onions.

In a small bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients.  Toss with salad and serve at room temperature.  Leftovers may be kept in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Summer Fresh Recipe Series: Cherry Almond Muffins

Hot from the oven, tender muffins bursting with tart cherries and sweet earthy almonds is a flavor combination that will have you going back for seconds!

Time for some more baked goods!  As the 14th installment of my Summer Fresh Recipe Series of easy summer meals using the abundance of produce available we are going to highlight Cherries today!  I love cherries, and buy them every week throughout cherry season (which is so dang short!).  Sometimes it's hard to cook with them because we eat them like candy.  I serve them sitting in a bowl of ice during the summer months.  When I do get a chance to hide some away for cooking I'm bursting with joy, and today's recipe is bursting with cherries!

CHERRY ALMOND MUFFINS

One bite and you will experience pure summer bliss.  There's something about cherries that scream summer whether it is a cherry pie, cherry ice cream, or these cherry muffins.  So get them while they are still around and make these muffins pronto.

Enjoy!

Some additional cherry recipes:

• Cherry Garcia Scone
• Cherryade
• Cherry Berry Smoothie
• Chocolate Cherry Banana Bread

Summer Fresh Recipe Series

• Watermelon Salad Mediterranean Style
• Chicken Fajita Kabobs
• Refreshing Melon Salad
• Peach Blueberry & Ginger Crisp
• Grilled Sirloin Steak with Garlic Herb Vinaigrette
• Grilled Vegetable Platter
• Sirloin Steak topped with Herb Salsa with Roasted Potatoes & Carrots
• Lemon Blueberry Scones
• Grilled Honey Ginger Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Apricots & Brocollini
• Lemon Raspberry Dutch Baby
• Simple Mediterranean Salad
• Grilled Chicken Kofta
• Greek Cobb Salad

Cherry Almond Muffins

serves: 6 muffins

1 egg
1/2 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cherries, pitted and rough chopped

1/3 cup almonds, rough chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl add the egg, milk, canola oil, and almond extract and whisk until light. Add in all the dry ingredients with the exception of the cherries and almonds. Mix batter just until incorporated.  Do not over mix. Batter should be thick.  Fold in the cherries and almonds lightly until mixed throughout.

Using a large ice cream scoop, divide batter among the wells of a muffin pan sprayed with cooking spray. Top with extra sliced almonds.

Bake for 16-18 minutes until tops are light brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Summer Fresh Recipe Series: Watermelon Salad Mediterranean Style

Sweet juicy watermelon with salty feta and cool cucumbers make a great tasting Mediterranean style salad.  Mix in some fresh herbs and toss it with a honey vinaigrette and you have summer in a bowl!

We've been eating a lot of Mediterranean style dishes this summer and this side dish is a perfect addition.  One of my favorite bloggers is Suzy from The Mediterranean Dish and this is one of her wonderful recipes.  Truly, all of her recipes are amazing so head over there and take a look around.

WATERMELON SALAD MEDITERRANEAN STYLE

Watermelon Salad is one of those dishes that has that sweet and salty combo going on and it is fabulous!  This variation of the traditional salad is more sophisticated by including cool cucumbers and chopped basil and mint.  Both herbs bring out the sweetness of the watermelon and pair perfectly with the salad.  Cucumbers are cool and crispy and filled with water just as watermelon is.  They are a great match.  And then she goes a step further by dousing the whole salad in a tart honey lime vinaigrette.  Delishhhh!

This is the go-to dish this summer that pairs with any main dish you are serving.  Plus it's light and fresh and is so easy to throw together.  As my 13th installment in my Summer Fresh Recipe Series that focuses on easy, light dishes using fresh summer ingredients, you can't have a summer without watermelon, and this salad.  It's that good!

Enjoy!

Summer Fresh Recipe Series

• Chicken Fajita Kabobs
• Refreshing Melon Salad
• Peach Blueberry & Ginger Crisp
• Grilled Sirloin Steak with Garlic Herb Vinaigrette
• Grilled Vegetable Platter
• Sirloin Steak topped with Herb Salsa with Roasted Potatoes & Carrots
• Lemon Blueberry Scones
• Grilled Honey Ginger Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Apricots & Brocollini
• Lemon Raspberry Dutch Baby
• Simple Mediterranean Salad
• Grilled Chicken Kofta
• Greek Cobb Salad

Watermelon Salad Mediterranean Style

serves 4-6

For the Honey Vinaigrette
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp lime juice
1 to 2 tbsp quality extra virgin olive oil 
pinch of salt

For the Watermelon Salad
1/2 mini watermelon, peeled, cut into cubes
1 English cucumber, cubed (about 2 cupfuls of cubed cucumbers)
15 fresh mint leaves, chopped
15 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, more to your liking

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, lime juice, olive oil and pinch of salt. Set aside for a moment.

In a large bowl or serving platter with sides, combine the watermelon, cucumbers, and fresh herbs.

Top the watermelon salad with the honey vinaigrette and gently toss to combine. Top with the feta cheese and serve!

source:  The Mediterranean Dish