When it comes to non-boring summer side dishes, I have a secret weapon: Gluten-Free Creamy Orzo Pasta Salad. This chickpeas & vegetable salad is simple, affordable, and delicious! Risoni pasta, garbanzo beans, marinated artichoke hearts, cucumbers, and tomatoes are combined with vegan creamy Tzatziki-like dressing. This salad is a cold side dish that goes great with vegan hot dogs, plant-based burgers, and any summer sandwiches! It can be spooned into tacos or placed on the top of the crackers.
Also, if your garden is overflowing with cucumbers and tomatoes, this Gluten-Free Creamy Orzo Pasta Salad is the perfect recipe. Adding chickpeas to a salad is an excellent source of vegan protein!
What is orzo? Ozro, also known as risoni, is a short-cut pasta shaped like a grain of rice. Traditionally, it’s made from a mixture of durum flour, semolina, and water. However, for my recipe, I used gluten-free chickpea risoni, which is made from organic chickpea flour. Any small gluten-free pasta will work for this recipe; just follow the package directions and substitute.
Left-over salad is excellent for meal prep because it keeps well
in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
Ingredients
- 1 cup chickpea risoni, cooked
- 1 15.5 oz can garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed
- ½ cup marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
- 3 small cucumbers, diced
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- For the creamy Tzatziki dressing:
- ½ cup dairy-free yogurt
- ¼ cup vegan mayo
- ¼ cup fresh dill,chopped
- 5 green scallions, chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp fine black pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together cooked chickpea risoni (orzo),garbanzo beans, artichoke hearts, cucumbers, tomatoes, and celery.
- For the creamy Tzatziki sauce:
- In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, mayo, dill, scallions, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
- Next, gently mix salad with this creamy Tzatziki sauce. Put this Gluten-Free Creamy Orzo Pasta Salad in a large salad bowl and serve immediately.
