• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Sweet Cayenne
  • ABOUT
    • Work With Me
  • RECIPES
    • All Recipes
    • RECIPES BY CATEGORY
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Condiments
    • Desserts
    • Main Entree
    • Sides
    • Snacks
    • How-To Guides
  • NEWSLETTER
  • CONTACT
  • PHOTOGRAPHY
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • ABOUT
  • RECIPES
  • NEWSLETTER
  • CONTACT
  • PHOTOGRAPHY
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • ABOUT
    • RECIPES
    • NEWSLETTER
    • CONTACT
    • PHOTOGRAPHY
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home > Recipes > Recipes

    Spring Orzo Salad with Roasted Salmon

    Published: Mar 14, 2016 · Modified: Apr 14, 2020 by Whitney Reist · This post may contain affiliate links |

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Everything you could want in a spring salad is happening in this bowl with this orzo salad with roasted salmon.

    This simple salad recipe can be ready in 30 minutes and is bursting with fresh spring flavor. Use garden-fresh asparagus, tiny grape tomatoes, fresh dill, lemon, and perfectly roasted salmon!

    I'm having a bit of a crisis right now. Other than the fact that it's the first Monday after Daylight Savings (ugh!). I've had a terrible craving for seafood lately. Back when we lived in Dallas, we'd eat some type of seafood at least once per week. Thanks to the life-changing seafood counter at Central Market, we had access to often great prices on mahi mahi, halibut, Chilean sea bass, the best wild-caught varieties of salmon, crab, jumbo scallops - you name it, Central Market would have it! That's not the case here, however, smack dab in the middle of Missouri. Far from it, may I add. There's only a few varieties of fish available, all of it ha been pre-frozen, and most of it tastes really.....fishy.

    Tell me, if you're experienced with my situation, what should I do??? Is there some kind of seafood co-op I can join? Do you live in central MO and know of a good place to get fresh seafood? HELP!

    Perfectly roasted salmon is the starring ingredient in this gorgeous spring pasta salad that's perfect for a picnic or outdoor setting!

    A bright and citrusy vinaigrette of fresh lemon, dill and Dijon pairs perfectly with spring garden veggies in this easy-to-make dressing.

    Despite the very unfortunate seafood famine going on in my life, I bit the bullet and purchased some decent salmon this week because I was CRAVING this orzo salad I'm sharing with you today. I used to make this for friends and personal chef clients all the time when I lived in Dallas, and it was a favorite for everyone! It's basically just something I threw together one day based on what I had in the refrigerator -you know, one of those "no recipe recipes" that people ask about and you reply "oh, I just added a little of this and a little of that." Except this time I made it and measured everything carefully so I could share it with you.

    Let's talk about the goodies in the salad - there's definitely some Mediterranean inspiration going on here. Creamy feta meets an herbal, zippy lemon dressing. I love a good lemon + salmon + dill combo just as much as the next person, so we're keeping things traditional in the flavor department in that sense. The addition of orzo technically makes this a pasta salad; and if you told me you were going to make this for your first picnic of the spring season, I would wholeheartedly encourage you to do so! Oh yes, and there's perfectly tender pieces of spring asparagus and little juicy tomatoes in their too. I like to give my asparagus a quick blanch for this recipe, as the process makes the asparagus a gorgeous bright green color and yields just the right amount of crunch.

    My favorite way to serve it is chilled, with some Bibb lettuce leaves on the side to make little wraps or with some toasted bread slices for scooping. This is great to pack for lunch, but if you can't eat the whole recipe within two days, just make half a recipe.

    Perfectly roasted salmon is the starring ingredient in this gorgeous spring pasta salad that's perfect for a picnic or outdoor setting!

    Recipe

    Perfectly roasted salmon is the starring ingredient in this gorgeous spring pasta salad that's perfect for a picnic or outdoor setting!

    Spring Orzo Salad with Roasted Salmon

    Perfectly roasted salmon is the starring ingredient in this gorgeous spring pasta salad that's perfect for a picnic or outdoor setting!
    Tried this recipe?Mention @sweetcayenne5 or tag #sweetcayenne!
    Print Pin
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    For the dressing:

    • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    • ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
    • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon minced garlic
    • 1 tablespoon fresh dill minced
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    For the salad:

    • 10 ounces wild caught salmon fillet
    • Kosher salt
    • Freshly cracked black pepper
    • Extra virgin olive oil
    • ½ pound fresh asparagus spears ends trimmed
    • 1 cup dried orzo pasta
    • 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes sliced in half lengthwise
    • 5 ounces feta cheese crumbled
    • Optional: Bibb lettuce leaves for serving

    Instructions

    For the dressing:

    • Combine all ingredients except for salt and pepper in a Mason jar with a lid or other small container with a lid. Shake vigorously to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the salad or make up to one day ahead and refrigerate until ready to use (refrigerated dressing may solidify somewhat; simply run the container under warm water to liquify it again.)

    For the salad:

    • Turn your oven broiler on the low setting and line a baking sheet with foil Spray lightly with cooking spray. Place the salmon fillet on top of the foil. Brush about two teaspoons of olive oil over the top of the salmon and sprinkle a teaspoon of coarse kosher salt and ½ teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper over the top. Broil for two minutes, then set the oven on 425 degrees F. Roast the salmon for 8-10 minutes until medium doneness; it should be pink in the center and flake easily with a fork. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes before flaking the entire fillet into small pieces with a fork.
    • While the salmon roasts, fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Salt the water with 2 teaspoons of salt. Place the trimmed asparagus spears in the water and boil for 90 seconds. Use tongs to carefully remove the asparagus from the pot, keeping the water at a boil. Place the asparagus in a bowl filled with ice and water, then add your orzo to the boiling water and cook for 6 minutes.
    • While the orzo cooks, drain the asparagus from the ice water and pat dry. Slice the asparagus into 1-inch pieces length-wise.
    • Drain the orzo into a fine mesh strainer and shake the strainer thoroughly to remove excess water. Place the orzo into a large bowl, along with the sliced tomato halves, asparagus, crumbled feta, and flaked salmon. Add the entire amount of vinaigrette and gently toss all of the ingredients to combine thoroughly. Serve immediately with Bibb lettuce cups or refrigerate for 6 hours to serve chilled. The pasta salad can be enjoyed for up to 2 days and tastes great chilled.
    Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 25.3g | Fat: 21.8g | Saturated Fat: 7.3g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 1100mg | Potassium: 345mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g

    Perfectly roasted salmon is the starring ingredient in this gorgeous spring pasta salad that's perfect for a picnic or outdoor setting!

    If you are craving more spring flavor, try my Tuna and White Bean Salad with Kale Pesto or my Strawberry and Wild Rice Salad.

    Did you make this recipe? If so, I'd love to hear about it! Leave a comment below or tag a picture of your creation on Instagram with the tag #sweetcayenne - it's great to connect with you! Sign up for my newsletter to keep up with everything going on at Sweet Cayenne.

     

    Don't miss these recipes!

    • A wire rack with a sheet of parchment paper on top and cinnamon biscuits.
      Bojangles Copycat Cinnamon Biscuits with Vanilla Icing
    • A white bowl filled with pizza pasta salad garnished with fresh basil leaves.
      Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Salad
    • A pink bowl on a cutting board filled with sweet potato lentil curry and rice.
      Sweet Potato Lentil Curry with Coconut and Spinach
    • A St. Patrick's day themed snack board with corned beef, sauerkraut, soda bread, and other charcuterie items.
      St. Patrick's Day Grazing Board

    Want more?

    Sign up for my weekly newsletter and get exclusive content (like menus, cooking downloads, and more!), blog recaps, and a chance to connect or be featured!

    Affiliate Disclosure

    Many of the links in my posts are affiliate links, which means I can get a small commission for any click or purchases made through the links. I am also an Amazon Associate and I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sally Houser says

      April 06, 2020 at 12:36 pm

      How much orzo did you use for this recipe? The recipe shows a question mark.

      • Whitney Reist says

        April 06, 2020 at 2:04 pm

        Hi Sally! I used 1 cup of orzo. Sometimes my recipe feature gets a little wonky and puts a question mark in - thanks for pointing that out. I have fixed that.

    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

    Primary Sidebar

    Hello there!

    I'm Whitney, the chef, photographer, dietitian, and blogger-extraordinaire behind Sweet Cayenne. Welcome to my online kitchen!

    About Whitney & Sweet Cayenne

    What's In Season

    • A pink bowl on a cutting board filled with sweet potato lentil curry and rice.
      Sweet Potato Lentil Curry with Coconut and Spinach
    • A cinnamon roll on a white rimmed plate.
      Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls
    • A cinnamon apple cake with two slices cut out on a piece of parchment paper with a navy blue background.
      15+ Healthy Apple Recipes
    • Bell Pepper Nachos
    • An up-close shot of a white bowl of Southern-style pasta e Fagioli.
      Southern-Style Pasta e Fagioli
    • Two Kentucky Hot Brown Sliders on a blue ceramic plate with a baking dish of sliders and blue napkin in the background.
      Kentucky Hot Brown Sliders

    Free cookbook and menu planners!

    Subscribe to my weekly newsletter & receive a free e-cookbook of my 25 best recipes along with menu planning sheets!

    Cozy Cooking:

    A pink bowl on a cutting board filled with sweet potato lentil curry and rice.

    Sweet Potato Lentil Curry with Coconut and Spinach

    An overhead shot of a white soup ramekin filled with ribolita soup and topped with crusty bread on black background.

    Instant Pot + Slow Cooker Ribolita (Italian Bread Soup)

    A gray plate of red beans and rice with a gingham dish towel and a glass of water on the side.

    Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice

    An overhead shot of a white bowl filled with turkey and drop biscuit dumplings.

    Turkey and Drop Biscuit Dumplings (Instant Pot or Stovetop)

    A white bowl of soup filled with posole verde and garnished with avocado and cilantro.

    Instant Pot Chicken Posole Verde

    An overhead shot of a wicker charger with parchment paper and Mango Mojo Chicken Tacos with a side of mojo sauce and avocado ranch on the side.

    Mango Mojo Chicken Tacos

    Travel Here Next:

    • The product wall of skincare items at Lemon Laine Oil Bar in Nashville, TN.
      Nashville Finds: Lemon Laine Oil Bar
    • A girl standing on a beach in Positano, Italy.
      Positano, Italy: Budget-Friendly Travel Guide
    • A photo of Civita di Bagnoregio in Italy
      The Best Tuscan Road Trip Itinerary + Tips on Driving in Italy
    • A traveling foodie's guide to the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy - including what to taste in Parma, Modena, and Bologna! European travel guide and itinerary.
      A Foodie's Guide to Emilia-Romagna, Italy

    Cooking Guides

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Photography Services

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 SweetCayenne

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.