ORZO ARTICHOKE CHICK PEA SALAD

Orzo salads have been a summer time salad for me as opposed to making and eating it year round. There is no reason why you can't make it year round. I tried this salad recently at a pot luck and got the recipe. It was such a good salad and included some of my favourite ingredients: chick peas, artichokes, spinach, feta cheese, fresh basil and caraway seed. My friend who made this recipe got it from her friend. I made a few tweaks to the salad ingredients. 

There are a few changes you can make to the salad. You can cook half a cup of orzo instead of three quarters of a cup and add more spinach; you can add chopped fresh mint instead of basil; you can add chopped black olives; you don't have to add parsley; and, if you don't like caraway seeds you can leave it out of the salad. 

Orzo cooling.

I used these artichokes which I drained and chopped.

Ingredients being added to salad.

Chick peas and feta cheese added.

Salad mixed and dressing will be added before serving.

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup uncooked orzo pasta
5 to 6 artichoke hearts, canned or marinated, drained and chopped
1.5 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach 
1.5 tbsp capers
3 green onions, chopped 
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled or very small pieces
10 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup or less fresh parsley, chopped
1.5 tbsp caraway seeds

Dressing
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1.5 tbsp maple or agave syrup
lemon zest from 1/2 medium size lemon 
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cook the orzo according to directions on the package. Best to not overcook the pasta. Drain once it is cooked, rinse with cold water, drain and let cool in a colander. 

While the orzo is cooling assemble the rest of the salad ingredients and add everything to a large mixing bowl including the orzo. Combine well. Prepare the dressing separately and add the dressing to the salad before serving. Serves 4 to 6. 

Leftover salad can be placed in the fridge and it will last for 2 plus days. If there is too much dressing in the salad, the spinach gets soggy over time in the fridge. 

There may be more dressing made than what you want to add to the salad. The unused salad dressing can be placed in the fridge and used for other green and vegetable salads.