It is heating up outside and that means we are cooling down our meals. We have been eating a lot of salads lately. Salads are perfect for lunch, dinner, and great side dishes to take to summer parties. This tomato artichoke orzo salad is easy, light, and full of flavor.

Orzo is an Italian pasta that is shaped like rice. This cold tomato artichoke orzo salad is perfect for the hot summer months. If you are growing tomatoes and basil in your garden this year, make sure you use fresh garden produce when making this salad. It makes it even better.

If you haven’t tried orzo, give this salad a try. It is easy to make, tasty to eat, and fun to say. The whole family will love it.

You might also like these summer salads:

Easy Pasta Salad
Lemon Orzo Salad with Asparagus, Spinach, and Feta
Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

Tomato Artichoke Orzo Salad

8 ounces orzo pasta, cooked according to package directions, drained, rinsed with cold water, and drained again
1 bottle artichoke hearts, drained (14 ounce size jar)
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
3/4 cup balsamic or Italian dressing-use your favorite brand
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1. Place the cooked orzo pasta in a large bowl. Add in the artichoke hearts and tomatoes, stir.

2. Coat the salad with dressing and stir well. Add in the fresh basil and parmesan cheese. Stir again.

3. Serve cold.

Serves 4-6

Tagged as: eat healthy, salad

Written by Maria Lichty

Maria is a regular contributor to Make and Takes Food. Maria and her husband, Josh, are Two Peas and Their Pod. They are known as the “cooking couple” and are a great team in the kitchen. They love trying new recipes, flavors, and techniques and sharing their creations with the world. They try to keep things healthy, but they always save room for dessert. Read other posts by Two Peas