Description
This grilled corn and orzo salad is packed with summer produce like fresh tomatoes, corn and mixed greens. Tossed in a creamy southwest inspired chipotle dressing with fresh herbs on top.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the orzo salad:
- 1 1/3 cups orzo (dry)
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 3 ears corn, removed from the cob
- 1/4 red onion, chopped
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 cups mesclun mixed greens
- 1/3 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup basil (packed), roughly torn
- 1 cup crumbled cotija or feta cheese
For the chipotle dressing:
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsps mayonnaise
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo (from a can)
- 3 tbsps lime juice
- 1/2 to 1 tsp honey
- 1 clove garlic
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
For the orzo salad:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package directions (about eight to ten minutes). Drain and set aside in a large salad bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil to avoid it clumping together.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil. Pour in the corn and cook until charred and starting to pop, about eight to nine minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the bowl with the orzo.
- Add the onion, tomatoes and greens to the orzo.
- Drizzle about half of the dressing over the orzo salad and toss gently to combine. Add the seeds, basil and cheese and more dressing as needed and toss gently. Serve and enjoy!
For the dressing:
- Combine all ingredients in a blender or the standing jar for an immersion blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
- The dressing will thicken in the fridge. Keep extra stored and add it as needed to the orzo salad, as orzo will soak up the dressing in the fridge.
