Salad is a dish that is no stranger to everyone as well as Apronese readers, because there are so many recipes for making quick and delicious salads. But this is an interesting dish, paired with Chimichurri sauce. You should try it
With this zucchini and orzo salad, you will experience all of the best flavors and colors of summer in one delicious dish, and you will be able to modify it in so many ways to make it your own.
Chimichurri: What Is It?
A chimericurri sauce is an Argentinian dish that is prepared using olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, fresh herbs, and spices. In addition to being incredibly delicious, this uncooked, super fresh, vibrant sauce can also be used as a dipping sauce, marinade, or condiment to drizzle over any meat, vegetable, or other item. And it is absolutely delicious that you will become addicted after your first taste.
Keep It Simple or Dress It Up
Here is one of my favorite things to do, and it is to share a recipe for this delicious Zucchini and Orzo Salad with Chimichurri with you, along with a few ideas about how you might fancy it up if you have the funds or inclination to do so.
It was my intention to keep my Zucchini and Orzo Salad vegan, but if cheese isn’t a concern for you, I think you’d really like it. If you want to add some cheese to your salad, try feta crumbles or the cute little mozzarella pearls. They are great for marinating in the chimichurri and soaking up all those wonderful flavors.
Leftover Chimichurri: How to Use It
When it comes to marinating, I did not use the entire batch of chimichurri in my salad, so you could easily portion off some of it and use it as a marinade for chicken, then mix the chicken in with the salad once it is cooked.
For all of my fellow egg lovers out there, I can’t help but think about how awesome a soft boiled egg would be atop the lovely salad that I have just made.
Moreover, if you would like some more ideas on how you can utilize your leftover chimichurri, take a look at the original post to find some ideas on what you can do with it. The possibilities are truly endless.
Zucchini and Orzo Salad with Chimichurri
It makes a refreshing summer salad that makes the perfect fresh and zesty side dish for a summer grilling party with this zucchini and orzo salad with chimichurri.
Author: Beth
Prep Time: 20 mins/ Cook Time: 15 mins/ Total Time: 35 mins
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Chimichurri
- 1/2 cup olive oil ($0.83)
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar ($0.40)
- 1 cup Italian parsley, packed ($0.35)
- 1/2 cup cilantro*, packed ($0.19)
- 3 cloves garlic ($0.24)
- 1 tsp dried oregano ( $0.10)
- 1/2 tsp cumin ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
Salad
- 1 cup uncooked orzo ($1.07)
- 1 medium zucchini (0.75 to 1 lb.) ($1.29)
- 1 pinch salt and pepper ($0.05)
- 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes ( $2.79)
Instructions
- Wash the parsley and cilantro leaves thoroughly, then shake off as much water as possible before you prepare the chimichurri. When the leaves have been removed from the stems, put them in a food processor, along with the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, cumin, red pepper, and salt. Pulse the mixture until smooth. If you prefer, you can chop the parsley, cilantro, and garlic finely and stir them in together.
- You will need to cook the orzo according to the packaging directions, drain it in a colander, and let it cool down before serving.
- I used a countertop grill to grill the zucchini slices, and after they were grilled, I cut them into quarters after they had been grilled. You can add the zucchini to the salad raw, grilled, or roasted in the oven first. If you would like to roast the zucchini, simply coat it with some oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, and bake it at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Let the zucchini cool slightly afterward.
- After the zucchini and pasta have cooled, cut the grape tomatoes in half and combine them with the tomatoes. Stir in the orzo and zucchini once they have stopped steaming. Mix about half of the chimichurri with the orzo until everything is thoroughly coated. Add more chimichurri as desired (I used about 3/4 of the batch). Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
*Those of you who are not fans of cilantro can simply replace it with more parsley instead if you prefer.
Nutritional
Serving: 1 serving ・ Calories: 422 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 36 g ・ Protein: 7 g ・ Fat: 28 g ・ Sodium: 326 mg ・ Fiber: 4 g
The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our nutrition disclaimer.
How to Make Zucchini and Orzo Salad – Step by Step Photos
When preparing the chimichurri, make sure that you rinse the cilantro and parsley leaves well and shake off as much water as you can (you don’t want watery chimichurri). Pull the leaves off the parsley, and pack about a cup of them. Pack 1/2 cup of cilantro leaves.
You can add 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar, 3 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon dry oregano, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes, and 1/2 tablespoon salt to the parsley and cilantro in a food processor.
Pulse until the mixture is smooth. It is possible to mince the parsley, cilantro, and garlic by hand if you do not have a food processor. Stir the parsley, cilantro, and garlic with the other ingredients after you have minced them with a knife.
The garlic and herbs can be chopped by hand, so if you prefer a chunkier chimichurri, you can grate them into the bowl and add the rest of the ingredients just before serving.
The directions for cooking orzo are on the package, but instead of following them, I would suggest cooking one cup of orzo in water and draining it in a colander before adding it to the salad. Whole wheat orzo would also be nice in this salad.
You can add a 3/4-pound or 1-pound zucchini to this salad raw, grill it, or roast it in the oven. Slice it into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick rounds. You can choose to grill it or roast it in the oven.
I grilled mine on a countertop grill (George Foreman). It is a good idea to cut the zucchini into quarter rounds if you are adding it raw to your salad. If you are grilling it, then you can slice it more easily and cut it into smaller pieces after it has been grilled.
Grill or roast the zucchini slices with some salt and pepper or toss in a small bit of chimichurri before grilling or roasting.
You can also toss the slices in a tiny bit of it before grilling or roasting. You can roast the slices at 400 degrees either with a splash of chimichurri or oil, then you can do so for about twenty minutes at 400 degrees.
It is essential to cut the zucchini in quarter rounds once they have been cooked until they have reached the desired temperature. Transfer the zucchini to a bowl to cool slightly, while slicing the grape tomatoes in half while the zucchini cools.
In a bowl of orzo, add about half of the chimichurri to the bowl once it has been drained and cooled.
The salad needs to be mixed thoroughly until everything is evenly coated, then if your taste buds desire additional chimichurri, try adding a few spoonfuls more.
I ended up using about 3/4 of the batch. The pasta will absorb some of the moisture from the chimichurri so I would recommend adding a little more than you would normally add.
As a final touch, taste the salad and add a pinch of salt and pepper if needed. Have fun!
It’s so beautiful! I love it so much.
Salad is not difficult to make, but it is not easy to make it delicious and unforgettable. The Chimichurri salad that Apronese shares with you today is a strange, delicious, cheap, easy to make and easy to share recipe for everyone.
