Cucumber and Tomato Orzo with Feta

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups orzo pasta
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped - divided
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups crumbled feta cheese
• 2 roma (plum) tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 red onion, very thinly sliced and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Step 1

Cook the orzo with the chicken broth, water, and half of the chopped red bell pepper in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer until the orzo is tender and the liquid has mostly absorbed, which should take about 10 minutes. Once done, drain the orzo and rinse it under cold water to cool it down.

Step 2

Transfer the cooled orzo to a large bowl and add the remaining red bell pepper along with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Give everything a good toss to coat the pasta. Next, stir in the cucumbers, feta, roma tomatoes, red onion, Kalamata olives, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and cumin. Mix everything well so the flavors blend nicely.

Step 3

Drizzle another 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the salad, then pop it in the fridge for about an hour. Make sure to toss it once or twice while it chills to keep the ingredients well combined. Before serving, taste and season with salt and black pepper as needed.