Lemon Orzo Chicken Salad
Happy “Hump Day” from the Hungry Southern Belle house! About this time in the week, we are super busy with work commitments, our exercise/fitness routines and planning for the weekend. Easy, healthy, tasty and quick week night recipes always earn bonus points in our house! Especially recipes that use items that might be leftover from a previous nights dinner! This Lemon Orzo Chicken Salad didn’t disappoint at all!!! I cooked some chicken breasts for the recipe when I was preparing it but you could easily use leftover chicken (or even an alternate protein like shrimp, tofu etc.) or even a rotisserie chicken from your local market. I love the markets like Whole Foods etc. that offer “naked” rotisserie chickens that don’t add extra fats or sodium in their roasting process. The outcome of this recipe was just fantastic! The tangy flavor profiles from the lemon vinaigrette matched with the fresh vegetables, orzo and (in our case) feta cheese was perfectly balanced both in taste and texture. You could easily play around with whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand to help save time and a trip to the store. This was definitely a winner for dinner and even better the next day for a quick and healthy lunch recipe! Enjoy y’all!
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup uncooked orzo
- 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon honey
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup shredded skinless, boneless chicken breast
- 1/2 cup diced English cucumber
- 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese (or feta)
Preparation:
1. Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain and place in a large bowl.
2. While orzo cooks, combine lemon rind and next 6 ingredients (through black pepper), stirring well with a whisk.
Drizzle juice mixture over orzo; toss to coat. Add chicken and next 4 ingredients (through dill); toss gently to combine. Sprinkle with cheese.
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