Cranberry Orzo Salad with Spinach and Feta Cheese Recipe
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Jump to RecipeThe cranberry orzo salad is made with sweet dried cranberries, fresh vegetables and herbs, tangy feta cheese, and a simple homemade lemon vinaigrette dressing! Great for parties, BBQs, or potlucks – this is one crowd-pleaser recipe everyone will love.
Ready in just 30 minutes, this is one side dish that will be gone before you know it: crunchy veggies, orzo pasta, and a bright and fresh dressing make this one crowd-pleaser recipe! The sweet/savory flavor combination is SO delicious!
Want more delicious pasta salads? Try our pomegranate pasta salad, sweet deli macaroni salad, and delicious Italian bowtie pasta salad.
I love a good sweet/savory combo in my salads, and this cranberry orzo salad is amazing as a side dish, to bring to a potluck, or to enjoy for a tasty lunch. It’s a great salad to make year round – with fresh vegetables and dried cranberries for a bit of sweetness in each bite.
Start by cooking your orzo, and tossing it with fresh chopped vegetables, and drizzling on a quick 5-minue lemon vinaigrette dressing. Sprinkle on some feta cheese and dig in!
Why This Recipe Works
- This cranberry pasta salad is refreshing, light, and tangy!
- It’s loaded with fresh vegetables in each bite.
- The sweet/savory flavor combination is out of this world.
- A crowd-pleasing recipe, it’s great for entertaining.
- It’s a simple recipe to make – cooks of any skill level can successfully pull off this dish.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Orzo pasta – I love the fun, tiny, rice-like orzo pasta for salads. It adds a great texture!
- Dried cranberries – I used a sweetened dry cranberry for this recipe, you can use unsweetened ones as well, although they can be a bit harder to find at the grocery store.
- Feta cheese – the sharp, tangy cheese is perfect to offset the sweetness of the cranberries. You can use a regular feta, or a vegan feta cheese too!
- Fresh vegetables – I used chopped spinach, cucumber, tomatoes, and artichoke hearts.
- Parsley – one of my favorite fresh herbs for pasta salads, chopped parsley is a perfect addition.
- Lemon balsamic dressing – this quick 5-minute pasta salad dressing is made with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, garlic, and herbs!
Additions and Substitutions
- If you don’t have orzo, you can use a different pasta shape instead. Small pastas like ditalini, macaroni, or small shells would be great. Or try a medium shaped pasta too: rotini, penne, or farfalle pasta would be great substitutes.
- Instead of feta you can use another sharp cheese: shaved parmesan cheese, goat cheese, or a marinated mozzarella would be delicious.
- Add your favorite vegetables – you can add or substitute any of the fresh vegetables in this salad to suit your tastes. Other great additions would be fresh or roasted bell peppers, chopped broccoli, sliced carrots, or roasted zucchini.
Homemade Orzo Salad Dressing
What makes this pasta salad a step above the rest? The dressing! Its a homemade lemon vinaigrette, which takes just 5 minutes to make. Once I started making quick vinaigrettes for my pasta salad, I never went back to buying store-bought dressing.
One benefit to making your own salad dressing is the amazing fresh flavors you get. The garlic, vinegar, pungent chopped herbs, and good olive oil all come together to flavor your pasta!
Try our dressing below, or check out or other homemade salad dressing recipes to find your next favorite.
How to Make this Orzo Pasta Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Step 1: In a large pot, cook the orzo according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool (or rinse under cold water).
Step 2: Prep the vegetables: chop the tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, artichoke hearts, and pit olives if necessary.
Step 3: In a large serving bowl add the spinach, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, and parsley. Add the drained and cooled orzo to the vegetables in the mixing bowl.
Step 4: In a small bowl, add all the dressing ingredients and stir well for 30 seconds to mix.
Step 5: Toss in the dried cranberries into the salad, save a few extra for garnish if desired.
Step 6: Toss dressing in with pasta and vegetables, and stir to coat well to combine. Serve at room temperature, or chill and serve cold. Garnish with extra cranberries before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Dried sweetened cranberries give this pasta salad a wonderful tart sweetness in each bite. The cranberries pair well with the cooked orzo pasta, fresh spinach, feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumber, and artichoke hearts. Toss with a fresh lemon dressing and enjoy!
Store leftover pasta salad in an airtight container and enjoy within 1 day. The spinach will begin to wilt once tossed with the dressing, so the pasta salad is best fresh.
Absolutely, pasta salad is a great dish to make ahead. Follow the recipe instructions below, but leave out the spinach if making ahead. Toss the fresh spinach just before serving, so it doesn’t wilt and stays fresh.
More Sweet & Savory Salads
- Thai Mango Salad With Cashews
- Orange Sesame Noodle Salad
- Summer Berry Salad with Honey-Lemon Dressing
- Nectarine Salad with Feta
- Arugula Apple Salad
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Cranberry Orzo Salad with Spinach and Feta
Equipment
- Pot
Ingredients
- 16 ounces orzo
- 4 cups fresh spinach chopped
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes sliced
- 1 cup cucumber sliced
- 1/2 cup artichoke hearts chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives pitted
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries chopped
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
Homemade Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic pressed
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoons each sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot, cook the orzo according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool (or rinse under cold water).
- Prep the vegetables: chop the tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, artichoke hearts, and pit olives if necessary.
- In a large serving bowl add the spinach, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, and parsley. Add the drained and cooled orzo to the vegetables in the mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl, add all the dressing ingredients and stir well for 30 seconds to mix.
- Toss in the dried cranberries into the salad, save a few extra for garnish if desired.
- Toss dressing in with pasta and vegetables, and stir to coat well to combine. Serve at room temperature, or chill and serve cold. Garnish with extra cranberries before serving.
Notes
- If you don’t have orzo, you can use a different pasta shape instead. Small pastas like ditalini, macaroni, or small shells would be great. Or try a medium shaped pasta too: rotini, penne, or farfalle pasta would be great substitutes.
- Instead of feta you can use another sharp cheese: shaved parmesan cheese, goat cheese, or a marinated mozzarella would be delicious.
- Add your favorite vegetables – you can add or substitute any of the fresh vegetables in this salad to suit your tastes. Other great additions would be fresh or roasted bell peppers, chopped broccoli, sliced carrots, or roasted zucchini.
Nutrition
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