Creamy Southwestern Orzo Salad
Posted: 08/26/2015
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This creamy southwestern orzo salad is the perfect blend of spicy, creamy, and crispy. The bold flavors make this salad not only a crowdpleaser at gatherings, but also a great lunch!
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This salad serves a big crowd and it keeps well.
How long it takes: 20 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: pasta pan, small bowl, strainer, measuring utensil.
Servings: 10
I’ve already made this salad quite a few times and I just developed the recipe about a month ago. That’s always a good sign. It’s somewhat similar to my Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad and that’s always a hit.
My neighbor recently had her second baby (a handsome sweet boy who is giving me major baby fever!)so I made a big bowl of this salad and brought about half of it to her and her family because orzo is one of her favorite foods. It was the perfect opportunity to test the salad one more time before posting the recipe. They loved it so I’m happy to let you know that this recipe is a definitely a winner.
My neighbor Julie is pretty much part of the Rachel Cooks team. She’s my queen of marketing – she tells everyone about my site. I’m so grateful for that! I told her I felt like a celebrity at her daughter’s party because everyone knew who I was and multiple people were telling me which recipes they have made from Rachel Cooks.
About this Orzo Salad
This salad is super easy to make. It’s a basic pasta salad with a buttermilk based dressing. I’ll run you through the basics here with a few extra tips.
As always, you’ll find the printable recipe card with complete directions and nutrition information at the end of this post.
What You’ll Need
- Orzo: This quick cooking small pasta is often confused with rice. I like it for salads because it mixes well with other ingredients and is easy to serve.
- Corn: Fresh corn is always best because it’s much crisper and just tastes so good. There’s no need to cook it first. If fresh corn isn’t available, use canned (be sure to drain it first) or frozen corn, thawed.
- Red Bell Peppers: Peppers add so much flavor, crunch, and color. Use any color you like.
- Black Beans: Canned beans should be rinsed and drained well. Black beans are small and also add nice color contrast. Substitute pinto beans if that’s what you have in your pantry.
- Green Onions (Scallions): I like green onions because they give plenty of onion flavor without overpowering the salad. If you prefer, used chopped red or white onions.
- Cheddar Cheese: Use a nice sharp cheese and cut it into quite small cubes. Shredded is okay, too, but I like the burst of flavor the little cubes give. If you prefer, substitute Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, or Mexican cotija cheese.
- Dressing: The easy dressing is a mixture of Buttermilk, Mayonnaise, a packet of Ranch Dressing Mix, and Taco Seasoning.
- Fresh Cilantro: I made this ingredient optional because some folks just can’t stand cilantro. If you’re not in the cilantro-hater camp, please add it!
How to Make This Salad
Get a big pan of salted water boiling and start cooking the orzo.
While your orzo cooks, mix up the simple dressing. It’s so easy, only four ingredients, thanks to a packet of dried ranch dressing mix! The southwestern flavors come from taco seasoning. I always have some of my homemade taco seasoning on hand so that’s what I use.
Now get your knife and cutting board out, it’s time to cut some veggies. I use fresh corn because I love the crispness of it. Here’s how to do it: Place a small bowl upside down inside your larger salad bowl. Grasping the tip of the ear of corn, hold the corn upright, the stem end of the ear of corn firmly placed on top of the inverted smaller bowl. This gives you kind of a platform to make cutting the corn off the cob a little easier.
Then, with a sharp knife, cut down towards the bottom of the bowl, slicing the kernels off the cob. They’ll fall down into the big bowl, just where you want them! Remove the smaller bowl when you’re done and you’re ready to add the rest of your ingredients to the big bowl!
Add the chopped red pepper, green onions, black beans, and cheese to the corn and mix well. By now your orzo is finished cooking. Drain it, rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking process, and drain again. Make sure you drain it really well so you don’t get too much water in your salad.
Stir in the dressing and cilantro, if you’re using it, and you’re ready to serve your salad. Try it as a meatless main dish, a hearty lunch, or a delicious side dish. Bring it to your next potluck picnic — it’s guaranteed to be a hit!
Enjoy!
FAQs
Is orzo pasta good for you?
Like most pasta, orzo has a lot of carbs. I like to use whole wheat orzo which contains more fiber and protein but it isn’t always available in grocery stores. Look online (Dellalo is a brand name) or at Trader Joe’s.
Do you rinse orzo after cooking?
It depends how you’re going to use it. If it’s in a salad, definitely rinse it. Rinsing stops the cooking process, removes excess starch, and cools the pasta before adding it to the rest of the salad ingredients. If you are eating the orzo hot with a sauce, don’t rinse it. The starch will help the sauce cling to the pasta.
How much orzo do you need for one person?
One serving is 1/4 cup (about 2 ounces) dry orzo. Once it’s cooked, dry orzo will double in size. This southwestern orzo pasta salad makes 10 very generous servings. As a side dish, it’s probably more like 12-14 servings.
Make-Ahead Ideas
This salad keeps really well in the fridge for up to five days, perfect for easy entertaining or lunches all week long! Pack it into individual serving sized containers, ready to grab and go.
More Recipes With Orzo
Orzo pasta is so versatile and tasty! Here’s a few more recipes with orzo that I think you’ll like:
- Bruschetta Orzo Salad (with video) — one of my most popular salads!
- Spring Orzo Salad with Arugula, Asparagus, and Pine Nuts
- Orzo Salad with Yogurt Dill Dressing
- Greek Orzo Salad with Roasted Shrimp
- Lemon Butter Orzo with Parsley from The Comfort of Cooking
- Cheesy Broccoli and Pepper Baked Orzo from Oh My Veggies
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
This creamy southwestern orzo salad is the perfect blend of spicy, creamy, and crispy. The bold flavors make this salad not only a crowdpleaser at gatherings, but also a great lunch!
Ingredients
- 16 ounce package orzo
- 1 1/2 cups corn (fresh, frozen, or canned)
- 1 can (15 ounce) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 red bell pepper, diced small
- 1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced (about 3 green onions or scallions)
- 8 ounces sharp white cheddar, cut into small cubes
- 1 pkg (1 ounce) Ranch Salad Dressing and Seasoning Mix
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup mayonnaise (I like the kind made with olive oil)
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, opt.
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, buttermilk, ranch salad dressing mix, and taco seasoning. Place in fridge while you make the rest of the salad.
- Cook orzo as directed on package. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain well.
- Meanwhile, cut corn off cob into a large bowl. Add black beans, bell pepper, green onions, orzo, and cheddar.
- Pour dressing over salad and stir to combine. Serve immediately or store covered in the fridge until ready to serve.
Notes
- I prefer fresh corn (3 ears) but if it isn’t in season, canned or frozen corn work fine, too.
- If you prefer, substitute whole wheat orzo.
- Refrigerate leftover salad in a tightly covered container for up to 4 days.
- If you’re a cilantro fan, definitely add it. I made it optional because some people just don’t care for it. Chopped parsley is good, too.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 456kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 36mg, Sodium: 344mg, Potassium: 269mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 764IU, Vitamin C: 18mg, Calcium: 206mg, Iron: 1mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Bonnie says
I’ve made this salad many times and it’s always a hit. Love that you can make it ahead and it keeps well. Perfect to bring to a picnic.
connie says
We like orzo a lot, so have to try your recipe. I also like
the heart-shaped bowl your salad is in. Who makes it and
where to purchase? Thanks for the nice recipe.
Rachel Gurk says
I believe that bowl is Fiestaware! I found it on amazon!
Pam says
I jus made this and added avocado on top. It was a huge hit. I only added one small avocado but will do 2 large ones next time.
Rachel Gurk says
Avocado is always a good choice! I’m glad you liked this! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment. :)
Raney says
This sounds so yummy, I will have to give it a try although I will have to make adaptations – different cheese (can’t get cheddar), fake buttermilk and a recipe for Ranch dressing mix since I can’t get that either. Do you happen to know the calories per serving? I don’t see that listed anywhere. I live in Italy and at first it confused me to no end when I saw recipes from America that called for “Orzo”. Orzo here is BARLEY. And the pasta that I love, that you call “Orzo” is called “Risone” here. Rice shaped pasta!! Great recipe, I will give it a try!!
Rachel Gurk says
That’s so interesting! I don’t know the calories per serving (especially with the adaptations you plan to make), but there are lots of great online tools to calculate nutritional information. Hope you love the salad!
Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks says
Orzo is such a fun shaped (and forgotten about) pasta! I love the southwest flavors for this salad! I have a friend like Julie who is my marketing person too!
Joanne says
Well if this was such a huge hit then I absolutely must try it!! That southwestern flair always sounds good to me.
denise says
sounds delicious
Amy (Savory Moments) says
This pasta salad looks delicious! It’s full of so many of my favorite flavors.
Patty K says
You’re a celebrity in the blogging world :) Always love a good pasta salad!
Katalina @ Peas and Peonies says
I love orzo, I have to cook it more often, never had it in a creamy salad, but wow it sounds amazing!
Amy @ Fearless Homemaker says
I love orzo, too, as you may have guessed from the orzo recipe on my blog today, too! Great minds …. =) I love it in casseroles, soups, and pasta salads especially, and this salad looks AMAZING – great combination of flavors + textures!