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Freddie's Summer Orzo Salad
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Freddie's Summer Orzo Salad

Servings 6 6-8 people

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
  • 3-4 cups chopped grilled chicken breast strips or rotisserie chicken with skin removed
  • 1-1/2 cups arugula trimmed
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
  • 1 cup edamame out of the shell
  • 1/2 cup red bell pepper chopped
  • 1/4 cup red onion chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh oregano chopped
  • Dressing
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice plus more as needed
  • 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar plus more as needed
  • 5 tablespoons white miso
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 6 garlic cloves thinly sliced or chopped
  • 1 3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly slice or chopped
  • 1 fresh jalapeño stemmed, seeded and sliced (if desired)
  • 1/2 cup neutral oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Toppings
  • 3-4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
  • 1 cup pine nuts toasted
  • 1 tablespoon homemade or store bought pesto of your choice per serving
  • Freddie served it with homemade aurgula pesto

Instructions

  • For the Salad
  • Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat, drain well. Put in large bowl and fluff so it doesn’t stick together.
  • Add the chicken and the next 7 ingredients to the bowl. Toss well. Add dressing and toppings.
  • For the Dressing
  • In a liquid measuring cup or wide-mouth jar, combine the lemon juice, vinegar, miso , honey, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and chile. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. With the immersion blender running, add the neutral oil in a thin stream, or you can use a countertop blender. Taste and adjust with salt, lemon juice and vinegar as needed.