Delicious cold or warm, this is for my basil-lovers out there! A simple orzo pasta salad that’s packed full of delicious plant-based flavors and varied textures. Fresh whole basil leaves shine as the star of the show here, so make this when you have an abundance of fresh basil.
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We’ve made this salad to take on picnics, for lunches on the go or to summer parties. It’s always a hit!
Still have fresh basil left over after making this salad? Use some to make sweet basil marinara sauce or pesto.
🧄 Very useful ingredient notes
- Basil - Fresh basil is the star of the show in this dish. We're using whole fresh basil leaves like tossing in some spinach. That's how much basil flavor you're going to get! I make this salad when I'm overflowing with basil from the garden or bought a lot to make pesto.
- Orzo - You can use another small pasta in place of the orzo, if you want, like rotini, macaroni, shells or ditalini.
- Kidney beans - For protein and color in the salad.
- Bell pepper - I prefer the more mild, sweet bell peppers for this salad. Orange bell pepper adds another color to the mix. Feel free to use red or yellow bell peppers, too. If you prefer it less sweet, use green bell pepper.
- Raisins - Adding a pop of natural sweetness, raisins could be swapped out for dried cranberries or dried cherries.
- Cashews - For crunch and richness. Swap out for pine nuts if you’d like.
- Olive oil - Go for extra virgin olive oil in this dish. For oil-free, just skip the oil and add a little extra lemon juice.
Expert Tips
- Don't make this mistake I made the first time when I was in a rush making this. Don't add the fresh basil to hot pasta - it'll turn black!
- Be sure to stir the orzo a lot when cooking it - it likes to stick to the bottom of the pan.
🥡 Make ahead and storage tips
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To make this in 10 minutes or less, cook your pasta beforehand and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to mix the salad together.
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📖 Recipe
Basil Orzo Kidney Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 16 ounces orzo
- 1 cup basil packed whole leaves (if very large, tear into medium pieces)
- 15 ounces kidney beans 1 can, drained and rinsed
- 1 bell pepper de-seeded and chopped into ½ inch pieces
- ½ cup raisins
- ¼ cup cashews roughly chopped
- 1 lemon juiced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for oil-free, use extra lemon juice
- sea salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook orzo according to package directions in salted water. Stir frequently (it likes to stick to the pan.) Once tender, drain and rinse with cold water (see notes) and set aside to cool.16 ounces orzo
- Meanwhile, remove basil leaves from stems, wash and pat dry. If they are very large, tear apart. Chop bell pepper and cashews.1 cup basil, 1 bell pepper, ¼ cup cashews
- In a large mixing bowl, stir to combine beans, chopped bell pepper, raisins, cashews, lemon juice and olive oil.15 ounces kidney beans, ½ cup raisins, 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Once orzo has cooled, add to the bowl and stir together. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.sea salt, black pepper
- Mix in whole basil leaves once pasta has cooled to room temperature. (If you add them to hot pasta, they will turn black.) Serve and enjoy! Or, store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was adapted from The Feed Zone Cookbook.
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