I definitely have summer on my mind after these really cold days! There’s truly nothing I love more than a pasta salad in the summer so this recipe is getting me in my feels. I turned chickpea orzo salad recipe into a summer staple and really it became and instant hit.

Pasta salads can get really receptive and seem all the same after awhile but this one pairs chickpeas with a lemon vinaigrette and is just so yummy! You could even turn this into a meal and just pair some protein like grilled chicken with it on top!

Ingredients

1 lb orzo

1 can chickpea

1/2 red onion diced finely

2 tomatoes diced

2-3 mini cucumbers diced finely

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp basil

1/4 c olive oil

juice from 1 full lemon

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp fresh minced garlic

1 tsp oregano

salt & pepper

red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Cook orzo according to package. Once cooked, drain and then put in a big bowl.
2. Mix in chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, nutritional yeast, basil & parsley.
3. Assemble vinaigrette by wishing together olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic, garlic, oregano & salt + pepper.
4. Combine bowl with dressing and mix thoroughly. Let cool and serve with red pepper flakes on top!

I love a good pasta salad and this chickpea orzo salad is delicious! Its so refreshing with the lemon juice in the dressing! The protein from the chickpeas helps to elevate this and make it even more filling!

Let me know if you loved this recipe and check out more recipes from me here! Be sure to follow me on Pinterest @cassiedenisco for even more content!