Mediterranean Orzo Salad
My husband, Aaron, is an avid mountain biker. We live near several trails systems that are part of the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy and at least a day or two a week, he’s off on his bike, throwing himself quite literally down steep rocky trails and climbing up hills that look a little intimidating to walk up most days.
I have a mountain bike. I very much enjoy to be outside. I even like riding bikes. I, unfortunately, do not have the guts for mountain biking. By that I mean, I’m happy to pedal up the hills, that part I weirdly enjoy but when it comes time to actually ride down the trails, which Aaron insists is the fun part, I am terrified. Aaron insists I’m not going fast enough to hurt myself should I fall off my bike, but I remain unconvinced.
A few days ago, Aaron had an unexpected free afternoon. The kids were at school and it was one of the first mild days in a while. He asked if I wanted to take the bikes out for a bit and while I had a vision of toppling over the handle bars, I said yes anyway, In what felt like no more than 5 minutes later, the bikes were loaded and we were off.
We ended up on the jeep trail, which is a nice wide and mostly flat trail you can access from the parking lot off Scenic and 80th. We pedaled for a bit, giving me time to get my bearings, before veering off on a few loops and trails requiring a bit more than just cruising. But the sun was out and warm on my shoulders. The wild sage was fragrant and tiny wild flowers were blooming all along the trails. Mt. Adams was showing off in the distance and the green Valley rolling hills were so beautiful. I couldn’t help myself, I forgot to be afraid of falling and just had fun.
We came home from our ride, sweaty, starving and ready for a cold beer. I threw a version of this salad together because I happened to have most of the ingredients on hand. It was so good, I had to make it again, tweaking it to get the flavors just right. Use this recipe as a guide not a map. Feel free to swap ingredients to your preference or what you have on hand. The first time I made it, I happened to have some grilled asparagus that was excellent added in. A can of garbanzo or cannelloni beans in addition to or in place of the chicken would be lovely as well. The dressing is simple but so delicious. Use store-bought hummus for a creamy, tangy dressing. Store extras in the fridge and enjoy this easy recipe all week long.
Mediterranean Orzo Salad
16 ounces cooked orzo pasta
1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced
1 English cucumber, diced
1/2 cup pitted kalakantaan olives
1/2 cup green olives
1/2 cup banana peppers
1 cup artichoke hearts, diced
2 cups baby spinach leaves
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup minced chives
1/4 cup minced Italian parsley
2 tablespoons minced basil
Juice of a lemon
4 ounces store-bought hummus
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
Cook orzo pasta according to package directions. Orzo is a small rice-shaped pasta noodle. Drain the pasta from the boiling water when the noodles are al dente. You want the noodle to have a slight firmness to it so that it can soak up the dressing and moisture from the rest of the salad without getting mushy. Once the pasta is drained, run cold water over the pasta to stop the cooking process. Transfer the cooked and cooled orzo to a large bowl and set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Wash and slice the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olives, artichoke hearts and baby spinach leaves. You want to chop up your veggies pretty small so that all your components are bite-sized and easy to combine. Add the veggies to the bowl and give it a gentle mix.
Add the cooked chicken and crumbled feta cheese to the bowl. Mince the chives, parsley and basil and add to the bowl. Sprinkle the salad generously with salt and pepper. Mix to combine.
In a separate bowl combine the hummus, juice of a lemon and olive oil. Mix to combine and pour over the salad. Mix well before serving.