Low Sodium Orzo Pasta Salad Recipe
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Jump to RecipeThis low sodium orzo pasta salad recipe is made with fresh vegetables, bright herbs, and a flavorful salt-free homemade dressing! Eat the rainbow with a variety of colorful vegetables: tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, bell pepper, and fresh herbs all tossed with delicious cooked pasta.
This orzo salad is a great salt-free option for summer parties, BBQs, or potlucks. It’s tasty and refreshing, and the homemade red wine vinegar dressing adds a lot of flavor with no salt.
Orzo salad is a great make-ahead side dish or appetizer you can prep ahead of time and enjoy cold during the week. It takes about 30 minutes total to make, and tastes even better the next day as the dressing melds into each bite of orzo.
What makes this pasta salad so unique from the rest? The homemade red wine vinegar dressing! It only takes a few minutes to whisk together, and it doesn’t contain added salt or preservatives like bottled dressings can. The fresh garlic, the vinegar, the herbs, and good olive oil make this dressing!
This Low Sodium Orzo Salad Recipe Is
- Refreshing
- Tangy
- Bursting with flavor
- Healthy
- Loaded with fresh vegetables
- Salt Free, vegan, vegetarian, and dairy free
- Great for BBQs, parties, or potlucks
A Great Make-Ahead Salt Free Side for Entertaining
This low sodium orzo salad recipe is fantastic to make ahead of time for a party, potluck, or gathering. Making this recipe in advance allows you to skip any cooking or prep on the day-of.
This is a great recipe to entertain with, or bring to an event. A crowd-pleaser that everyone is sure to love! Check out my other make ahead meals too, for easy low sodium recipes you can prep ahead of time.
Ingredients You’ll Need
See the recipe card below for a full list of instructions and ingredient amounts!
- Orzo Pasta – I absolutely love orzo – it’s a small short pasta that has a similar shape to cooked rice. Most dried orzo packages have 0mg of sodium, so be sure to use one without added sodium.
- Tomatoes – I used cherry tomatoes, but any fresh summer tomato works for this recipe.
- Bell Pepper
- Parsley
- Red Onion
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Red Wine Vinegar: I used red wine vinegar for the dressing to give this dish a really nice bright Mediterranean flavor.
- Whole Grain Mustard – for a really nice flavor and texture, you can use either whole grain mustard, stone ground, or Dijon mustard. Since this mustard is the only ingredient with added sodium, I like to use a really good whole grain mustard which has 100mg of sodium per 1 teaspoon.
- Italian Seasoning Blend: usually has thyme, basil, rosemary, parsley, etc. Make sure you get a no-salt-added variety!
- Sugar
How To Make This Recipe
- In a large pot, cook the orzo according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl add the cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, cucumber, and parsley. Add the drained and cooled pasta to the vegetables in the mixing bowl.
- In a pint sized mason jar, add all the dressing ingredients and shake for 30 seconds to mix.
- Toss dressing in with pasta and vegetables, and stir to coat.
- Chill pasta salad in refrigerator (overnight if possible to let the flavors set) and serve! Right before serving, I like to drizzle a little extra olive oil and red wine vinegar over the salad, too – optional, but highly recommended!
Low Sodium Salads To Enjoy All Year!
I love this low sodium orzo salad recipe, which is a bright & fresh addition to the table. I love serving this salad alongside a summer cookout dinner, but it’s truly great any time of the year.
Salads can be easy to make low sodium by using homemade dressings – which only take minutes to make! This easy red wine vinaigrette is loaded with garlic and herbs which flavor each bite of the pasta salad. Browse all our low sodium salad recipes here for your next family favorite.
More Low Sodium Sides To Try
- Low Sodium Twice Baked Potatoes
- Low Sodium Cowboy Beans
- Spicy Low Sodium Black Beans Recipe (No Salt Added)
- Low Sodium Baked Ziti Pasta
- Low Sodium Spaghetti Squash Recipe
Let’s keep in touch – don’t forget to follow over on Instagram, Facebook, & my Youtube channel for more easy low sodium recipes.
If you made this recipe please leave a star rating & comment below. Your feedback helps other people who are making this recipe.
Low Sodium Orzo Salad
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
For the Orzo Salad
- 16 ounces orzo
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
- ¼ cup red onion thinly sliced
- 1 large cucumber sliced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 1 cup fresh parsley chopped
For the Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 lemon juiced, about 2 tablespoons
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon italian seasoning
Instructions
- In a large pot, cook the orzo according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl add the cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, cucumber, and parsley. Add the drained and cooled pasta to the vegetables in the mixing bowl.
- In a pint sized mason jar, add all the dressing ingredients and shake for 30 seconds to mix.
- Toss dressing in with pasta and vegetables, and stir to coat.
- Chill pasta salad in refrigerator (overnight if possible to let the flavors set) and serve! Right before serving, I like to drizzle a little extra olive oil and red wine vinegar over the salad, too – optional, but highly recommended!
Nutrition
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used, it may vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify sodium amounts.
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Very yummy
I don’t see the sodium content for your recipes. Is it available?
Hi Blanche,
At the bottom of the recipe card I have estimated nutritional information. It will vary on the ingredients you use, so make sure to check you are using low/no sodium ingredients. For this pasta salad, make sure any spice blends you use contain no added salt – but regular orzo pasta and veggies are naturally low in sodium!