This Orzo Pasta Salad has become a favourite with our family, particularly during Ramadan. A follower initially shared this recipe with me, she found it on the back of a packet of orzo pasta (if I recall correctly) and asked me to try it. Well I did and we loved it from the very outset. I’ve shared this recipe every Ramadan since, on my Instagram stories, but thought it was high time I added it to the website since it can be located easily whenever someone wants to try it. The salad is simple, refreshing and doesn’t feel heavy, in fact it’s so good you can eat it by itself. I usually serve Orzo Pasta Salad alongside main meals, it goes particularly well with grilled meats and is ideal for barbecues too. This salad benefits from being made ahead of time, the longer the ingredients sit in the dressing the better they take on the flavours, which makes it perfect if you’re entertaining and want to prepare some dishes ahead of time.

Chickpeas are high in fibre, protein and healthy fats and have a low GI, meaning they won’t spike your blood sugar levels, this is important when you’ve been fasting all day. Chickpeas are without a doubt one of the most wholesome ingredients to prepare dishes with, as are most of the other ingredients in this Orzo Pasta Salad; fresh bell pepper, olive oil, fresh lemon juice and honey, making this a healthy and balanced salad. The recipe works with either lemon or lime juice, both taste equally nice and meld nicely with the other flavours. If you plan on making this salad I would recommend using a good raw honey, this way you benefit from the nutrients and natural antioxidants in the honey and unlike many supermarket brands, it won’t be full of sugar syrups, something I’ve become more aware of when selecting honey (and again raw honey won’t spike blood sugar levels unlike commercial honey). The salad tastes ever so slightly sweet due to the honey but the lemon/lime juice balance this out nicely. I do hope you all enjoy this Orzo Pasta Salad!

You will need: for Orzo Pasta Salad

1 cup orzo pasta (boil using instructions on packet)
1 can of chickpeas, drained
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/3 of a cucumber, diced
The juice of 1 lemon OR 1 lime
3 tbsp olive oil (I used extra virgin olive oil)
2 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Method:

1. Bring to boil a pan of water, in the meantime prepare the other ingredients.

2. Dice the cucumber and the red bell pepper.

3. Add the orzo pasta to the pan of boiling water and cook as instructed on the packet.

4. Drain and rinse 1 can of chickpeas.

5. Juice one lime or lemon.

6. Once the orzo is cooked, test for doneness and drain the pasta, run under cold water for a few seconds to stop it clumping together.

7. Now prepare the dressing – to a bowl add 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp honey, the lime (or lemon juice) squeezed earlier and 1/2 tsp salt.

8. Lastly add 1/2 tsp ground black pepper and mix the dressing.

9. Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl and pour over the dressing.

10. Mix the ingredients and coat with the dressing, this salad tastes better the longer you leave it in the dressing as the ingredients take on the flavours better with time. Chill until time to serve.

11. Enjoy your salad as part of a larger spread, it goes particularly well with grilled meat.