Greek-Style Orzo Salad with Chicken
Charred, golden chicken fanned over a glossy tumble of orzo, jewel-bright tomatoes and vivid pink onion, finished with snowy feta, fresh oregano and a slick of peppery olive oil.
Ingredients
Serves 6- 4chicken breasts, about 600 g total
- 2 tspdried oregano, divided
- ½ tspsmoked paprika
- 2 tbspolive oil
- 300 gorzo
- 1garlic clove, finely grated
- 3 tbspred wine vinegar
- 1 tsphoney
- 5 tbspextra virgin olive oil
- 200 gfeta cheese, crumbled
- 1cucumber, deseeded and cut into half-moons
- 300 gcherry tomatoes, halved
- 1red onion, very thinly sliced
- 100 gKalamata olives, pitted
- 20 gfresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- ½ tspchilli flakes
- Fine salt, to taste
- a small handful of fresh oregano leaves (optional)
- 1lemon, cut into wedges (optional)
- 6portions warmed pitta breads (optional)
- 240 gtzatziki (optional)
- Black pepper, to taste
Method
- Salt the pasta water generously; it should taste distinctly savoury. Season the orzo itself. Cook the orzo for 8–9 minutes until just tender with a slight bite, then drain and spread out on a tray to cool; pile it in a bowl now and it clumps together.
- While the water heats, drop the sliced red onion into a small bowl and cover with the red wine vinegar from the dressing. Leave for 10 minutes; the raw edge softens and the slices turn a vivid pink. Keep the vinegar for the dressing.
- Whisk the extra virgin olive oil, the vinegar drained off the onions, 1 tsp dried oregano, grated garlic and honey in a small bowl. The grated garlic goes in raw here, so keep it fine; a microplane, not a chop; or it'll bully everything. Season with salt and pepper, taste, and adjust.
- Flatten the chicken breasts to an even 2 cm thickness between sheets of baking paper. Pat dry, then rub with the remaining 1 tsp dried oregano, smoked paprika, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 5–6 minutes on each side until golden and the thickest part reaches 75°C for 30 seconds. Use two batches if necessary. Rest for 5 minutes, then slice.
- Tip the cooled orzo into a large bowl with the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, drained pickled red onion and olives. Pour over three-quarters of the dressing and toss until every grain is glossy. Taste the orzo and add salt if needed.
- Fold through most of the crumbled feta and the chopped parsley, keeping a little of each back for the top.
- Serve the orzo with sliced chicken, the remaining dressing, reserved feta and parsley, and the chilli flakes. Add any optional fresh oregano, lemon wedges, warmed pitta and tzatziki.
Per serving
- kcal
- 634
- protein
- 43.1g
- fibre
- 4.3g
- carbs
- 46.7g
- fat
- 30.1g
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