Quick Orzo Salad

January 10th, 2013 by Katie

1-IMG_2365

My body refuses to function without carbs.

Anybody else in that boat? After my freshman year of college (ahem, I ate cereal and ice cream for every danged meal) I went on a low (lowwww) carb diet and nearly died.

I’m being dramatic, but seriously. I couldn’t even walk around the block without feeling like I was going to pass out. I lost fifteen pounds almost immediately…but oh heck. It was AWFUL.

1-IMG_2360-002

So even though I told you guys I was trying to health up my eating habits a tad…I’m not giving up carbs. Neverevereverever again.

Also, worth mentioning. This recipe takes about fifteen minutes from start to finish.

Quick carbs. An eating habit I can get behind.

1-IMG_2371

Quick Orzo Salad

PRINT Recipe

  • 1 package (16 oz) whole wheat orzo pasta
  • 4 C vegetable broth
  • 1 C cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 1/2 C olives, chopped
  • 3-4 green onions, chopped
  • 1/4 C feta cheese
  • 1/2 C parsley, chopped
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 1/4 t ground pepper
  • 2-3 T olive oil

Bring the vegetable broth to a boil and add the orzo. Cook according to package directions (mine was 9 minutes). Drain.

In the meantime, get all the other stuff ready. Chop, drain, rinse. You know.

When the pasta is done, combine everything. Garnish with more parsley and serve warm or room temperature. Enjoy!

Posted in Uncategorized | 29 comments

Previous post:
Next post:

29 comments on this post.

  1. Ashley:

    January 10th, 2013 at 3:52 am

    Perfect <3

  2. Nicole:

    January 10th, 2013 at 5:13 am

    Can we start a group? C.A.- Carbaholics Anonymous?

  3. Nicole @ Just Live It:

    January 10th, 2013 at 6:06 am

    I’m with you on the needing carbs! LOL. I’m never, ever giving them up either! :)

  4. Danica @ It's Progression:

    January 10th, 2013 at 7:28 am

    I’ve never tried orzo before but this sounds delicious!
    And I feel the same way about carbs–I always aim to choose the “right” ones (oats, whole wheat, etc.) but I could never give them up completely.

  5. Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough:

    January 10th, 2013 at 7:45 am

    Quick carbs? I’m SO IN. This looks fantastic!

  6. Cait:

    January 10th, 2013 at 7:52 am

    I AM WITH YOU!! I too dabbled in the low-carb thing in college and was the same way. I distinctly remember walking up to what we called “upper campus” with Mike one time and actually needing to sit on a bench halfway there because I was too tired to keep walking. So sad.

    And the thing about cutting carbs – is that it might work for a while (maybe even a long while) but it’s not sustainable long term. Your body (and brain!) need carbs to function!

    I’m always down for some orzo too so this is a meal I can get behind for more than one reason!

  7. Katie:

    January 10th, 2013 at 8:02 am

    See, that’s why I need you in my life. Real clinical justification for eating carbs.

  8. Cait:

    January 10th, 2013 at 8:24 am

    Haha – I think yours were pretty dang good too :)

  9. Kaitlin @4loveofcarrots:

    January 10th, 2013 at 8:30 am

    carbs make everything better!! This sounds delicious and so easy!

  10. Ashley:

    January 10th, 2013 at 8:40 am

    I am all about simple meals like this and really need to start brainstorming more. Simplicityyyy. Yes!!! — Oh yah…no carbs? What? No thank you. My gluten-free switch had no affect on my carb intake. Although, I definitely did the south beach diet after gaining weight in my juinor year of college. Lost 10 then probably gained 12 back as soon as 1 piece of bread touched my lips. Fun stuff! ;) haha

  11. Bev @ Bev Cooks:

    January 10th, 2013 at 8:58 am

    IIIIIIIIIIIN.

    In in in in in.

  12. Irene:

    January 10th, 2013 at 9:14 am

    Ok, this looks and sounds so delicious!!! Gotta try! And I get what you’re coming from, I can’t function without carbs either haha ;) I’ve tried to cut them before just like you but the cravings are unbearable.

  13. sarah:

    January 10th, 2013 at 9:30 am

    I believe the carb thing is totally genetic! My dad and I are wired the exact same way. We shut down without carbs. Whenever we feel grumpy, my mom quietly goes and gets a chunk of bread or crackers or something carby and shoves it in front of us. Instant mood changer! Now my son is the same way–some of us are just wired to need our carbs!
    We needed something quick for supper last night and I made almost the same thing. Just used Isreali couscous and sauteed lots of veggies with lots of nooch–my kids loved it! I think I’ll try this recipe for my kids lunch–thanks!

  14. Carly @ Snack Therapy:

    January 10th, 2013 at 9:56 am

    Carbs will never leave my life. Even when I try to cut down on carbs, I still eat tons. Love forever. This salad looks perfect to make ahead and bring to school with me. I could throw some chicken in there and make it a meal!

  15. Heather @ Heather's Dish:

    January 10th, 2013 at 10:15 am

    I had to do a really low-carb diet when I was pregnant because it’s what helped me manage my gestational diabetes, and it was AWFUL. Definitely made me realize that portion control with carbs is a huge weakness of mine!

    Now thankfully I know what a portion size looks like and I’m no longer carb free (should I get a gold star?!)

  16. Katie @ Blonde Ambition:

    January 10th, 2013 at 11:53 am

    I love simple pasta salad recipes like this! Carb love runs in my family – we’re Italian so pasta was always on the menu 2-3x per week. AND bread.

    I’ve never tried going low carb and never want to! I do try to make sure that most of my carbs are whole grain though :) baby steps, right?

  17. Katie:

    January 10th, 2013 at 2:49 pm

    Ugh, that would be AWFUL while pregnant. I don’t think I ate anything BUT bread/pasta for 9 months. You for sure deserve a gold star.

  18. Heather @ Better With Veggies:

    January 10th, 2013 at 5:53 pm

    I love your simple meals – I make things more complicated usually, but I really like how delicious yours are AND easy. Yum!

  19. Cassie | Bake Your Day:

    January 10th, 2013 at 6:59 pm

    Bring on the carbs. I refuse to function without them too.

  20. Katie @ Talk Less, Say More:

    January 10th, 2013 at 7:14 pm

    Simple and delicious. I’ll take it!

  21. Katie:

    January 10th, 2013 at 7:25 pm

    I’m all about easy. Or maybe we could call it lazy.

  22. Kelly:

    January 10th, 2013 at 8:33 pm

    I only craved carbs when I was pregnant. And by crave I mean craaaaaaaave. Ha! Here’s hoping i crave carbs again at some point in my life.

  23. Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeets:

    January 10th, 2013 at 8:50 pm

    Carbs are a girls best friend, and since they turn into your body’s energy, they’re kind of necessary too. Love this Orzo Salad. Easy and delicious.

  24. Katie:

    January 10th, 2013 at 9:35 pm

    you and me both, lady.

  25. Sarah:

    January 10th, 2013 at 10:20 pm

    I would eat this right now. It’s 8:19 pm. Dinner was two hours ago. Go ahead. Judge me.

  26. lorie:

    January 11th, 2013 at 12:07 am

    I’ll take a bowl with Sarah.

  27. Ross | TheFaceBaby:

    January 11th, 2013 at 12:59 am

    Is it weird that I started singing Taylor Swift in my head when you said neverevereverever? (I’m a guy, for real, I swear). And then I thought of how carbs could fit into a Weird Al version of her song. Like “youuuu are never-ever-ever, quitting carbs forever”.

  28. Jamily:

    January 11th, 2013 at 7:18 am

    Amen! Carbs are my life. This looks great, can’t wait to try it!

  29. Christina:

    January 11th, 2013 at 10:21 am

    Mmmm carbs. I could not live a life without carbs, and orzo is my one of absolute favs. I love it in soups especially.