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Homemade beet salad with orzo.
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5 from 1 vote

Beet and Blue Cheese Orzo Salad

Beet and Blue Cheese Orzo Salad is a light, healthy and delicious summer salad. Filled with refreshing and delicious flavors like summer beets, blue cheese, caramalized onions and lemon.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: beet salad, healthy pasta salad, orzo pasta salad, orzo salad
Servings: 4
Author: Amy Stafford

Ingredients

  • 4 medium sized beets with green tops
  • 1 cup orzo pasta

Salad:

  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1/2 medium red onion thinly sliced
  • 1 cloves garlic minced {generous tablespoon minced}
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Vinaigrette:

  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons of lemon zest

Topping:

  • 3 ounces blue cheese crumbled

Instructions

Beets:

  • Remove green tops from beets and wash greens thoroughly in cold water.
  • Remove stems so that only leaves remain, slice into slivers. You should have about 1 cup loosely packed. {you will most likely not use all your leaves}. Set aside.
  • Trim the tops and roots off your beets and peel. Cut into 1/4” slices and cut slices into quarters. Set aside.
  • Heat 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Once water is starting to boil, add peeled and sliced beets and cook for 8 minutes. Remove from water with a slotted spoon and place in a large serving bowl.

Orzo:

  • Add orzo to boiling water you just removed beets from and cook according to package directions. Once all dente, drain, rinse and toss in bowl with beets

Salad:

  • In a medium saucepan heat over medium heat and add pine nuts, toast evenly on both sides. About 3-4 minutes. Remove and set aside in small bowl.
  • Add coconut oil to pan and heat to medium. Add red onion and garlic, stirring occasionally so that you do not burn garlic. Sprinkle in salt and pepper and cook about 4-5 minutes.
  • Add beet greens and toss to coat. Cover pan and cook until wilted about 3-4 minutes.
  • Add beet green mix to beets and orzo.
  • Toss in vinaigrette and top with blue cheese.
  • Serve and Enjoy.

Notes

When stored in an airtight container, this orzo salad can stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. If you’re planning to store it, you can leave out the blue cheese and add it when you’re ready to serve.