Orzo Salad with Garbanzo Beans and Cherry Tomatoes

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It’s frickin’ hot here in Seattle right now. I know that for some, temps into the mid-90s is small potatoes. But for us tender Pacific Northwest folk, 95 is nothing to sneeze at. Especially because most of us around here don’t have air conditioning in our homes (I got two hours of restless sleep last night! Sigh.)

But I’m not complaining! Really! After all, our summers are short-lived (this year in particular, summer didn’t arrive until about a month ago), and our tomatoes and basil are loving it.

It’s just, you know, really hot. Too hot to do much cooking – and so, this weekend, I whipped up this orzo salad for dinner. This salad has been one of our go-to dishes this summer – it’s an easy, totally delicious and refreshing lunch or dinner, perfect for hot summer weather. It’s a terrific way to use up some of the herbs that are probably overflowing in your garden right now – the combo of basil and mint are especially sublime.

Here’s the recipe!

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Ingredients

Adapted from the Giada De Laurentis orzo salad recipe from Food Network

• 2 cups orzo
• 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion (like Walla Walla)
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook the orzo according to package directions. I strongly suggest adding a couple teaspoons of salt or so to the water for extra flavor.
2. Throw the orzo into a large bowl with the tomatoes, onion, garbanzo beans, basil, and mint.
3. In a small bowl, make the vinaigrette: Whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and olive oil.
4. Pour the vinaigrette over the orzo, veggies, and herbs, and toss gently until well incorporated.



5. Season to taste with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
6. Great when served at room temperature, but also refreshing served chilled.

More goodies like this:

• Caprese Panzanella
• Shamrock Shake Shortbread Cookies
• Mint Chocolate Brownies
• Salsa! Salsa!
• Tri-Color Potatoes with Basil-Pecan Pesto