Another day and another salad! I make at least one salad every week, which I can then make meals from or take a bite by itself while on the move. If a salad is prepared, I’m better off consuming it. I like mixing a bit of pasta with various veggies and perhaps some beans, too. This combination creates an incredibly filling salad that is enough to be an appetizer yet light enough to accompany any of my meals. It’s an Italian Orzo Salad. Italian Orzo Salad makes the same.
INGREDIENTS
Italian Vinaigrette
One cup of olive oil ($0.64)
2 TBSP vinaigrette made from red wine ($0.20)
1. Tbsp Lemon Juice ($0.05)
One teaspoon Italian mix of seasoning ($0.10)
1/8 teaspoon mince powder ($0.02)
1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
1 tsp Dijon mustard ($0.03)
1 tsp sugar ($0.02)
Salad
1 cup orzo (uncooked) ($1.15)
1 15oz. Chickpeas in a can ($0.55)
Four oz. fresh spinach ($0.60)
Two red peppers roasted (1/2 from 12oz. jar) ($1.00)
1/3 cup kalamata olives ($1.00)
1/2 12oz. Artichoke hearts in a jar that have been quartered ($1.40)
1 pint grape tomatoes ($1.99)
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the vinaigrette before making it so that the flavors can mix. Mix the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Indian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, Dijon, nd sugar into a container or bowl. Mix the ingredients or seal the jar and shake until the elements are well mixed. Put the dressing aside.
The orzo is cooked according to the instructions on the packaging (boil until soft). Remove the orzo in a colander, then rinse using cool water. Let the pasta cool before draining it while you prepare the other ingredients. The pasta should remain as dry and relaxed as you can.
Drain and rinse the container of chickpeas. Allow them to drain thoroughly while you prepare the rest of the components.
Chop the spinach roughly and then place it into a bowl. Remove the red peppers that have been roasted, artichoke hearts, and olives from the brine. Cut the olives and roast red peppers. Then, rough chop artichoke hearts. Cut the grape tomatoes in half. Place the chopped veggies in a bowl alongside the spinach.
Add the rinsed chickpeas and orzo to the bowl and the remaining ingredients. Remix the vinaigrette before adding half of it to the bowl. Mix the salad ingredients until well-coated. Add more dressing if you want (I made the entire batch. However, it’s best to start with a half-cup and increase the amount as you need).