Orzo and Chicken Salad with Lemon Dressing

Orzo and chicken salad with lemon dressing is a perfect dish to take to a picnic or for dinner on the patio! It’s full of flavor and easy to make.

Orzo is a rice shaped pasta that I use pretty often. It’s light and works well with lots of different kinds of dishes. It works perfectly in this light summery salad.

You can prep this salad ahead of time – just leave out the arugula until you are ready to serve. It will keep nicely for a few days in the fridge.

I love picnics and coming up with ideas for dishes I can take to outdoor meals other than just sandwiches. This dish feels healthy and light and fresh. The lemony dressing helps make it feel like summer.

You’ll need:

• 2 cups cooked rotisserie chicken
• 1 cup uncooked orzo
• 2 mini cucumbers (or you could use about a half of an English cucumber
• 1 cup grape tomatoes cut in half
• About 1/4 c of red onion, diced
• 2 cups arugula
• fresh basil leaves sliced thin (just about 2 T)
• 1/4 c grated parmesan
• 1 1/2 T fresh lemon juice, plus the zest of one lemon
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 T olive oil
• 1 t honey
• salt and pepper to taste

Boil a pot of salted water and cook the orzo according to the “al dente” directions on the box. Rinse with cool water and let drain.

Chop up all the vegetables and add them to a large bowl. If you are eating this right away, go ahead and toss the arugula with all the veggies. If not, add the arugula right before serving.

Mix the lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and honey together and whisk until fully incorporated.

Next, shred 2 cups of the rotisserie chicken and the parmesan to the veggies.

Now mix the orzo into the salad, then add the dressing, salt and pepper. Taste to make sure it is well seasoned. You will need the seasoning because of the pasta. Finally,

Look how colorful and beautiful it is! Doesn’t it look like a summer dish?

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Orzo and Chicken Salad with Lemon Dressing

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Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked rotisserie chicken
• 1 cup uncooked orzo
• 2 mini cucumbers (or you could use about a half of an English cucumber
• 1 cup grape tomatoes cut in half
• About 1/4 c of red onion, diced
• 2 cups arugula
• fresh basil leaves sliced thin (just about 2 T)
• 1/4 c grated parmesan
• 1 1/2 T fresh lemon juice, plus the zest of one lemon
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 T olive oil
• t honey
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1

Boil a pot of salted water and cook the orzo according to the "al dente" directions on the box. Rinse with cool water and let drain.

2

Chop up all the vegetables and add them to a large bowl.

3

If you are eating this right away, go ahead and toss the arugula with all the veggies. If not, add the arugula right before serving.

4

Mix the lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and honey together and whisk until fully incorporated.

5

Next, shred 2 cups of the rotisserie chicken and the parmesan to the veggies.

6

Now mix the orzo into the salad, then add the dressing, salt and pepper. Taste to make sure it is well seasoned. You will need the seasoning because of the pasta.