Whole-wheat orzo salad with chickpeas and feta

Ingredients

0 of 17 out on the counter

• 6 oz dry whole-wheat orzo
• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 10 oz grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 cucumber (8¼ inch), diced
• ½ small red onion, finely diced
• 10 large ripe olives, sliced
• 2 cups baby spinach, chopped
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 oz feta cheese, cut in small cubes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1½ fl oz lemon juice (3 tbsp)
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp salt
• water for boiling the orzo

All set! Everything is out. Time to bake.

Method

1. 1Bring a big pot of water to a boil. Stir in the orzo. Water boils near 203 °F at 5,300 ft, so go by the bite: start tasting at the package time and stop when the orzo is tender with a little firmness left.
2. 2Drain the orzo, rinse it under cold water until cool, and shake it dry. Tip it into a large bowl.
3. 3In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic powder, pepper and salt until it looks thick and cloudy.
4. 4Pour half the dressing over the orzo and toss. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives, spinach and parsley, then the rest of the dressing, and toss again.
5. 5Fold in the feta last, so the cubes stay whole. Eat it now, or chill it for 30 minutes so the orzo takes up the dressing.
6. 6Pack it in lidded containers. It keeps 3 days in the fridge; keep it under 40 °F, and cool leftovers within 2 hours of making them. Stir before eating, and add a squeeze of lemon if it has gone quiet.