Peach Cucumber Mint Orzo Salad. THIS is what I will be eating once a week through Spring and Summer. And since none of us can leave our homes at the moment, I have all the time to keep remaking it.
With the shit sandwich, we’ve all been handed in getting quarantined, I’d say having more time to cook and create fun new recipes is my silver lining. Cooking is such a relaxing time for me. It’s two hours of uninterrupted happiness that ends with something delicious I can share with someone I love. I think I’ve created more cocktail recipes in the last two weeks then probably all of last year. Weird the way locking us in has actually made me the most productive. As if working harder will somehow lift this coronavirus. Ugh.
If you can’t cook at all, this is the time to learn! Or better yet, the time to teach someone else. I’m so proud of my nephew currently choosing his own recipes each week, cooking, and sharing a picture with our family. And he’s not making chicken nuggets, this little man (taller than me) recently cooked homemade gyoza… like batter from scratch and all! So proud.
As Anthony Bourdain once said “Basic cooking skills are a virtue… the ability to feed yourself and a few others with proficiency should be taught to every young man and woman as a fundamental skill. It’s as vital to growing up as learning to wipe one’s own ass, cross the street by oneself, or be trusted with money.” You’re already stuck at home, at least learn to make one good dish for when you reenter into the world. This peach cucumber mint orzo salad recipe is super easy but really impressive so an easy one for all my beginner cooks.
Let’s talk through these ingredients and discover why they pair so beautifully together. Starting with the orzo; with its chewy and slippery texture in the best possible way, its the perfect base for this recipe. This noodle (that’s right, not rice) gets perfectly coated with the oil and lemon juice and overnight soaks in its roommate’s flavors, like little noodle sponges.
Next, the red onion’s sharp flavor and garlic’s pungent bite evens out the sweetness of the peaches which are the juicy sweet queen of this whole dish. Add your cucumber and mint for that spring freshness then top it off with the creamy, tangy, saltiness of the feta. It has it all; sweet, salty, tangy, chewy, crunchy, fresh, and light yet filling. Ahhhh SO GOOD! Drooling yet?
Like a lot of recipes, you can eat this one right away but I promise you, leaving it in the fridge to marinate overnight is well worth the wait. I would pair this with a glass of white wine and live my day out on the back porch.
Remember to stay positive during this time. Find things to keep you busy and go for a daily walk (6 feet apart). You want to come out of this with a healthy mental headspace. Like everything else, this too shall pass. How you live your days is how you live your life, make the most of this time at home and time with loved ones. Now go make this Peach Cucumber Mint Orzo Salad!
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Peach & Cucumber Orzo Salad
Ingredients
- 4 oz dry orzo
- 2 peaches
- .5 cup red onion
- 1/4 cup feta
- .5 oz mint
- .5 lemon
- 1 cucumber
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Cook orzo according to package directions, just until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- Pick mint leaves and thinly slice.
- Peel and half cucumber lengthwise, scoop out seeds and thinly slice.
- Chop garlic. Slice the half lemon. Halve and thinly slice the red onion. Halve, pit, and cube peaches.
- Broil peaches in the oven 5-7 minutes until lightly charred.
- In a medium pan add 1 tbsp olive oil and saute onion 4-5 minutes over medium heat. Once onions are soft, add garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl toss orzo, peaches, cucumber, feta, and onion-garlic mixture. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and give it another toss.
- Divide among bowls, top with mint and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Peach & Cucumber Orzo Salad
Serves: 2 servings
|
Amount Per Serving: half the recipe
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 517 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 10g | 15.4% | |
| Saturated Fat 3g | 15% | |
| Trans Fat | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 | |
| Sodium 167mg | 7% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 96g | 32% | |
| Dietary Fiber 11g | 44% | |
| Sugars 19g | ||
| Protein 18g | ||
| Vitamin A | Vitamin C | |
| Calcium | Iron | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
One Broads Journey
*Original recipe derived from Hello Fresh
