Monday, June 9, 2014

toasted pecan & blueberry orzo salad


Let's kick off the summer right!

This salad is my new go-to... I'm kind of ridiculously in love with it. So many good flavors going on, from the salty capers and the sweet blueberries! The toasted pecans add a little texture and nutty goodness. The parmesan and the mustardy dressing makes this completely and utterly divine. Ah! So good!

This is the perfect dish to bring to a summer get-together, but it would do just as well as your lunch for the week. Let's get into it!

Toasted Pecan & Blueberry Orzo Salad (adapted from Joy the Baker)
serves 2-4

you'll need:
1 cup orzo
3 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon capers
1/2 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup parmesan, grated
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously, then add orzo and cook according to package directions. When done, drain and rinse well in cold water.

Meanwhile, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, and mustard for the dressing. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.

Add dressing to the cooked orzo and stir to combine well. Stir in the capers, pecans, blueberries, parmesan, and basil. Chill until ready to serve.

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27 comments:

  1. yayy for summer...but today looks blahhhhh. i could use some of this salad to cheer me up.

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    1. I know! Hopefully we'll have a sunny rest of the week!

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  2. I love a good orzo salad! This one looks tops!

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  3. It can rain all it likes here, I'm going to make this salad and draw the curtains and eat it.

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  4. Whoa. That is a gorgeous looking salad Marie! Yay for summer salads!!

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  5. Oooh, blueberries in an orzo salad - awesome!

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  6. Absolutely PERFECT summer salad! In love! I love orzo!

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  7. What a beautiful salad, and yay for upcoming summer, I am so excited. This really is a great lunch!

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    1. Thanks, Jessica! It makes great lunch leftovers too!

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  8. I need a new orzo salad in my life and this is so unusual with the blueberries. I love to make this Giada recipe for lemon saffron orzo with shrimp but this is just the summer spin I need to make life interesting!

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    1. I've never tried that Giada recipe, but I LOVE her tri-colore orzo salad! So good. I think you would definitely love this one!

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  9. Pretty and fresh!! I'm adding this to my to-make list !

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  10. Whoa, this is such a fun and unexpected mix of flavors! Blueberries and capers?! That's just crazy awesome.

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  11. This salad looks so delicious!
    ami@NaiveCookCooks

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  12. This looks like a great recipe. I love the "cold salad" recipes that you can just make a larger batch of and keep in the fridge to just pull out whenever. The can be lunch or dinner, or both with a couple of sides. Oh, the versatility!

    Orzo and blueberry definitely sounds intriguing! Going to have to give it a try. It is nearly Maine blueberry season, after all...
    Thanks for sharing the recipe! :)

    -amber
    http://amberrogals.com

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Amber! Yes, this is the best to have in the fridge for meals all week!

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