Try this Feta, Herb and Shrimp Orzo Salad recipe
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 3 oz feta cheese crumbled
- 1 small garlic clove crushed
- 1 1/2 cups kamut or whole wheat orzo uncooked
- 1 lb shrimp shelled deveined & cooked
- 1/2 lemon, juice and zest of
- 3 dill cucumbers sliced
- 2 tbsp parsley finely chopped
- 1/4 cup mint finely chopped
- Carbohydrate 0.759449969617222 g
- Cholesterol 12.6155377795 mg
- Fat 5.26961370228444 g
- Fiber 0.0163888884120517 g
- Protein 2.04846694958833 g
- Saturated Fat 2.42990263904078 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -8 serving (93g)
- Sodium 158.330116675778 mg
- Sugar 0.74306108120517 g
- Trans Fat 0.220473440471111 g
- Calories 58 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook pasta as per package instructions.
- While pasta is cooking, in a large bowl add shrimp, olive oil, lemon juice + zest, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and let marinate for 10 minutes.
- While shrimp is marinating, slice cucumbers, crumble feta and chop herbs and add to the bowl with shrimp. Add cooked pasta, gently stir and serve cold or warm.
Standard ingredient lists omit the critical interaction between hot pasta starch and acid. When boiling orzo for a cold salad, undercooking the pasta by one minute prevents it from turning mushy once the lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil are introduced. Thoroughly rinsing the cooked pasta under cold tap water stops the residual cooking process immediately while washing away excess surface starch that otherwise causes the grains to clump together into a dense mass.
Managing Temperature and Make-Ahead Storage
Combining cooked shrimp directly with fresh garlic, lemon zest, and olive oil for a brief ten-minute rest allows the lipids in the oil to absorb volatile aromatic compounds from the garlic and herbs before the delicate seafood hardens from prolonged acid exposure. Storing this dish in an airtight glass container keeps the fresh mint and parsley vibrant for up to forty-eight hours without wilting. Because freezing alters the cellular structure of cucumbers and causes thawed feta to release excess moisture and turn grainy, prepare this specific grain salad to be consumed entirely within its refrigerated window rather than utilizing the freezer.
- If the orzo absorbs too much dressing during storage, stir in an additional half teaspoon of olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice before serving to restore the texture.
- Always use a fine microplane for the lemon zest to avoid grabbing the bitter white pith underneath.
- Pat the cooked shrimp dry with paper towels prior to marinating if they retain excess surface water from thawing, ensuring the oil clings properly rather than sliding off.
