Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Mediterranean Orzo Salad

Because one cannot live on veggie burgers alone!



Do you shop at Whole Foods Market? If so, you have probably perused the deli counter, drooling over the amazing vegan salads that they offer, and then seeing the ones you can't have because of one stupid ingredient that makes it not vegan! This is one of those salads. At Whole Foods, this salad contains HUGE chunks of feta cheese. I replaced the feta with tofu, and voilla, a vegan version that tastes yummy hot or cold.

Truth be told, I wasn't planning on making a recipe out of this, so I didn't write down any measurements, but I can tell you everything I mixed in, and you can add or take out anything you like to make it your very own yummy salad.

Ingredients I used:
1 pound of Orzo, prepared in salted water according to package instructions
1 block of extra firm tofu, drained and pressed and cubed*
Olive oil, I probably used about 1/4 cup for the whole thing
Sundried tomatoes, chopped up
Fresh Spinach, Chiffonade
Garlic
Onion powder
Basil
Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste.

Prepare the orzo, drain, and then add in all of the other ingredients, and mix well. Serve hot or cold.

*If you have a favorite tofu feta recipe, use that.

11 comments:

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Yes, I do shop at Whole Foods (it's practically my second home, haha) - and yes, I have felt disappointed by the fact that their delicious-looking pasta salads have cheese :0( Thank you for this recipe!! :0)

Melisser; the Urban Housewife said...

I had that salad on a photoshoot a few years ago & it's safe to say yours is better!

JENNA said...

i could live on veggie burgers and that salad.

Vaala ◪ said...

Ooo, I love this kind of salad...orzo is awesome!

MeloMeals said...

Looks delicious!... and I can't wait til your burger book comes out!

Erin said...

I love orzo. It's like the best parts of pasta and rice came together in the name of deliciousness.

mustardseed said...

ORZO? I thought it was rice! (: LOL.

Oh Joni I'm gonna make sexy low fat vanilla cupcakes for a birthdaycelebration in church tomorrow! YAY. But I saw your pictures, and I wanted that tofu fudgey frosting too!! DO you have a recipe?

Joni Marie Newman said...

mustard... i don't recommend that fudgy tofu recipe. it was not so good at all. i found it online somewhere, but thought it was very "beany" and it didn't really make a frosting. More like a glaze. Use one of Isa's frosting recipes. Her's are WAY better.

urban vegan said...

Although I love orzo, I've never made it....Wow. Stunning admission!

Paulatron said...

good idea! now I don't have to buy farfalle

Unknown said...

Forget the word "amazing" to describe anything. It's meaningless now.

Orzo salad is a flexible base for many good ingredients. Roasted red pepper, kalamata olives, feta and almond make a wonderful summer side dish when dressed simply with garlic, olive oil and lemon.

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All recipes written by me, Joni Marie Newman, unless otherwise noted. Please feel free to refer to or link back to any of my recipes, but please ask for permission, and remember to give credit when reprinting recipes in their entirety. I do provide links to affiliate programs (such as Amazon) in which I receive a small commission for items purchased. I do not provide paid reviews. All reviews done on products or books are of my own unsolicited opinion. On occasion I may receive a book or product to review. I will note when this is the case, but rest assured, it will not affect the authenticity of my review. Thanks!--Joni