Lemon Orzo with Feta

This Lemon Orzo with Feta is a quick and easy lunch or simple supper that is packed full of flavour. It has zesty lemon orzo with soft, buttery courgettes, peas and shallots, all topped off with a salty, herby feta crumble. It is unbelievably delicious and takes less than 30 minutes to put together.

In this recipe, I have topped it with a salmon fillet - but it is equally delicious served without, for a vegetarian dish. I also love the fact that it works brilliantly as a main meal, but is just as good as a side dish with other salads or something like roast chicken. This Lemon Orzo with Feta can also be made ahead and enjoyed cold for lunch the next day (a bit like my Greek Pasta Salad with Orzo). Ideal for when you know you have a busy day ahead and want to enjoy a flavour-packed lunch without any fuss.

Why you will love this recipe:

• It is quick and easy, yet still tastes delicious!
• It is on the table in under 30 minutes.
• It is full of flavour and thanks to the salty feta, fresh herbs and zesty lemon.
• It is so versatile - you can use all sorts of herbs and vegetables.
• It is perfect for a simple lunch or supper - or make ahead pasta salad.
• It is vegetarian (if you skip the salmon) and can easily be adapted for vegans.

Ingredients:

Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!

Salmon fillets - these are entirely optional, but if you do choose to include them try to go for sustainably sourced salmon if you can. I like rather thick, chunky fillets. 

Orzo - this small, rice-shaped pasta is ideal for making pasta salad style dishes like this Lemon Orzo with Feta and is equally good served hot or cold. 

Vegetable stock - this adds flavour to the orzo as it cooks, although don’t worry about using a homemade stock - a cube is fine! If you aren’t making this Lemon Feta Orzo for vegetarians, you could use chicken stock.

Shallots -  I love cooking with shallots as they have a wonderfully delicate flavour that turns slightly sweet as they cook. You could use white or red onions, if that is what you have.

Garlic - You could also swap for garlic granules if you don’t have any fresh garlic cloves to hand.

Courgette - also known as ‘zucchini’. I have used a regular green one in this recipe but you could use a yellow one which tastes slightly sweeter. 

Petit pois - Or use peas - I much prefer using petit pois as they are smaller and sweeter.

Fresh herbs - the combination of dill and mint gives a refreshing, aniseed flavour to this Lemon Orzo with Feta.

Lemon - this adds a refreshing citrus flavour which really lifts the dish.

Feta - a crumbling of feta adds a hint of saltiness. You could swap for goat's cheese, if you prefer. 

Substitutions and Variations:

Orzo: Swap it for all sorts of grains like giant couscous, regular couscous, quinoa or bulgur wheat (just adjust the cooking time and method). Alternatively, you could go down the pasta route and use another small pasta like stellini or macaroni.

Vegetables: you could easily add extra vegetables to this Lemon Orzo with Feta. I sometimes add a handful of spinach and let it wilt down. If serving cold, stir through some halved cherry or baby plum tomatoes.

Salmon fillet: you could swap the salmon fillet for chicken breast or chicken thighs. Adjust the cooking time and method accordingly. Leftover roast chicken would also work well. Alternatively, stick with the fish and seafood vibes and top with a roasted or pan-fried cod or haddock loin (or fillet) or some cooked prawns.

Nuts: for added texture, sprinkle with chopped nuts before serving. Pistachios, hazelnuts and almonds all work really well (so would flaked almonds). I like to toast them first to really bring out the flavour.

Fresh herbs: You can use all sorts of herbs in this Lemon Orzo with Feta. Coriander, parsley and chives would all be delicious.

Cooking Tips:

Perfect salmon - keep a close eye on your salmon, I like to cook it until it is just cooked and starting to flake when you poke it with a knife. If you leave it in the oven, it becomes rather dry. You could pan-fry it if you prefer, which is nice if you want super crispy skin. Season it well and drizzle liberally in olive oil, then start it in a cold pan. Cook on medium heat - you will be able to see the heat travelling up through the salmon as it changes from bright to pale pink. When it’s almost completely cooked, flip it over and cook for another minute before removing it from the pan. Serve skin side up - so crispy and so good!

Orzotto-style - I have simmered the orzo in stock so it has distinct grains like you would expect with a pasta salad, but you could add the stock slowly, stirring between each addition, to create a creamy risotto texture (giving you a delicious Lemon ‘Orzotto’ with Feta). 

Frequently Asked Questions

Storage & Reheating Instructions

Other recipes you might enjoy:

My Greek Pasta Salad with Orzo, Salmon with Pesto Crust and Roasted Tomato Giant Couscous Salad and my Harissa Yoghurt Chicken with Couscous are all ones to try if you like this recipe.

Made this recipe and loved it?

I would love love LOVE if you could leave a review in the comments…  I love hearing what you thought, any changes you made, the stories behind what made you try my recipes. Also, if you share a photo on Instagram, please tag me @desertislanddishes, it makes my day to see you making my creations!

Lemon Orzo with Feta

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This Greek-inspired lemon orzo with soft, almost buttery, courgettes and shallots, fresh herbs and feta is the perfect simple supper or easy lunch. It takes less than 30 minutes to put together and can be served hot or cold - what’s not to love?

• Author: Margie Nomura
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: Serves 2
• Category: Pasta
• Method: Stove Top
• Cuisine: Greek

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the salmon: (optional)

• 2 large salmon fillets
• Drizzle olive oil

For the lemon orzo with feta:

• 400ml vegetable stock 
• 180g orzo 
• 120g petit pois
• 3 tbsp olive oil 
• 2 banana shallots, finely diced 
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed 
• 1 courgette, coarsely grated
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• 20g fresh dill 
• 10g mint, leaves picked 
• 1 large lemon, zest and juice 
• 80g feta (or as much or little as you'd like!)
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 
• ½ tsp runny honey 

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Instructions

1. If serving with salmon: preheat the oven to 190C Fan and line a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper. Place the salmon fillets (skin side down) on the baking sheet and drizzle each one with a little olive oil. Roast in the oven for about 8-10 minutes - or until they give way and begin to flake when nudged with a knife.
2. For the orzo: pour the stock into a medium-sized saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Once boiling, add the orzo and continue to cook as per packet instructions, adding the petit pois for the last 3 minutes of cooking. Keep an eye on the pan to check the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom.
3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium-sized non-stick frying pan. Add the shallots and cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. 
4. Add the garlic and grated courgette and cook for a further 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Once the orzo is cooked, drain and reserve the stock. 
6. Add the orzo to the pan with the vegetables, alongside 2 tablespoon of the reserved stock. Stir well, then season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Remove from the heat. 
7. While you’re waiting for the orzo to cook and the vegetables to soften, roughly chop the herbs and tip into a bowl. Add the zest of lemon, crumble over the feta and set aside. 
8. In a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, honey and remaining 2 tablespoon olive oil. Drizzle over the herby-feta mix and season to taste - bear in mind that feta is normally quite salty. Squeeze over the lemon juice, if wished.
9. Stir half of the herby-feta into the orzo. 
10. Divide the orzo serving bowls, top with the salmon fillet (if using), then spoon over the remaining herby-feta mix. Enjoy!

Notes

To store: Whilst best enjoyed fresh, the leftovers are still delicious. Transfer to an airtight container (tupperware) and keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.

To reheat: Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes (depending how much you have left) until piping hot. Otherwise, it's good cold too (see above). 

To freeze: No, I wouldn't freeze it as the orzo can develop a weird texture once frozen. 

Make ahead: You can make it ahead of time if you want to serve it cold. I wouldn't make it ahead of time if you want to serve it warm, as this can make the orzo a little mushy. If making it to serve cold, simply follow the recipe as instructed and then cool and place in the fridge. It will last in the fridge for 3-4 days. When ready to eat, remove from the fridge 20-30 minutes before as it's best at room temperature and you may need to add a drizzle more olive oil and a splash more lemon juice to loosen it.

Make it vegetarian: the salmon fillet is entirely optional - you can keep this veggie friendly and serve it without.

Make it vegan-friendly: you can make this recipe suitable for vegans by omitting the salmon and feta (or using a plant-based alternative) and opting for maple syrup instead of runny honey.