Description
A simple, sunshiney salad that’s light, fresh, and full of texture. It’s got tender orzo, crisp-tender asparagus, creamy edamame, and salty Parmesan, all tossed in olive oil with a hint of garlic and basil. Perfect for a picnic, potluck, or just an easy lunch!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 1 bunch of asparagus (about 20 spears)
- 3/4 cup frozen shelled edamame
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed, drained, and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Extra Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil.
- Add 1 cup of orzo and cook for about 10 minutes, or until tender.
- Drain well, then toss it into a big mixing bowl and set aside.
- In another pot, bring water to a boil.
- Add 1 bunch asparagus and ¾ cup frozen edamame.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook for 2 minutes.
- Quickly drain and plunge them into a bowl of ice-cold water; this keeps the color bright and the texture crisp.
- Pat the asparagus and edamame dry, then slice each asparagus spear into 3 pieces. Add them to the bowl with the orzo.
- Drizzle in 3 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle in 3 tbsp Parmesan, toss in ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tbsp fresh basil, and 1 minced garlic clove.
- Season with ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Give it all a good toss until evenly coated.
- Cover and let the salad stand at room temperature for about 10–15 minutes, so the flavors come together.
- Serve it up with an extra dusting of fresh Parmesan on top.
Notes
Created, Prepared, Tasted, and Tested by Valerie
