Orzo salad with bell peppers and garlic dressing is the perfect side dish for any summer BBQ or weeknight meal. Fresh bell peppers and a store bought dressing pack a punch of flavor!
I don’t know what it is about summer but I always seem to have an orzo salad on my menu. While it’s almost always my Mom’s famous lemon orzo with asparagus salad, I’ve recently changed-up our pasta salad game with this simple orzo salad with bell peppers and garlic dressing. Think my toddlers eat it? NOPE. But Lily does. And to clarify, the boys gobble down the orzo + garlic dressing, and have some fresh peppers on the side. See how I make one meal work for multiple taste buds?! [Yes I’m crazy].
Like clockwork, Kroger’s Fresh Selections Tri-Color Peppers end up in my grocery cart week after week. In fact, I usually purchase 3 bags a week because the Serbinski bros like snacking on peppers at night before bedtime. You know, because they are hungry after picking at dinner 2 hours before. Funny how that works out! But the nice thing about this orzo salad with bell peppers and garlic dressing is the kids love pasta [check-check with the orzo], they’ll devour any bell pepper on their plate, and the garlic dressing is store-bought [check-check for Mom].
Ok. One last reason why you should make this orzo salad: You can prep the peppers and onions on the weekend [let’s say you are into produce prep like this Momma], and grill a few chicken breasts alongside. Then when it comes to mealtime mid-week, you can cook the orzo, and toss it together with the peppers, chicken, and garlic dressing, in um, say 15 minutes. Or however long it takes to cook the orzo. Dinner. Served.
Have I sold you yet?!
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 package of Kroger’s Fresh Selection Tri-Color Peppers [1 red, yellow, and orange bell pepper], sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 12 ounces orzo
- 1 cup Garlic Expressions dressing [or 1 cup of your favorite olive oil, garlic-based dressing]
- Heat large non-stick skillet to medium-high heat. Add peppers, onions, salt and pepper. Stir occasionally, until peppers and onions are soft and browned, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and add to large serving bowl.
- Add peppers and dressing. Stir to combine.
- Serve with your favorite grilled or baked protein. Or store in an air-tight container in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Obviously, the Garlic Expressions dressing is store-bought, and I think it would be easy to make a copycat dressing at home [olive oil + garlic], but this is one of my favorite dressings with minimal ingredients.
OH and don’t forget to eat this salad with your favorite grilled protein. I’m a fan of marinating chicken in the SAME Garlic Expressions dressing found in the salad…. A bottle goes a long way folks!
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by the Kroger Company of Michigan. As a loyal Kroger customer for over 30 years, I am so thankful to be able to partner with brands my family has used for generations!
very nice recepie..Thank you..