Instead of using the artichoke marinade. Use 6 tbsp olive oil,
5 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 2 teaspoon dried oregano
I gave this 5 stars...after I made some changes. I added about 1/2 c. of a good italian dressing and about 1/4 c. of red wine vinegar to spice it up a little. Now it is AMAZING. Everyone loved it!! I made the orzo and mixed it with the dressing, vinegar, lemon and spices the day before and then added the veggies the morning of. Very good and very pretty!
This is a great summer salad, absolutely delicious! My husband commented about how quickly I scarfed it down. I made some changes: basil instead of oregano, black pepper instead of lemon pepper, an extra tablespoon of lemon juice, an extra large tomato, only half an onion, and some balsamic vinegar to taste. Next time I make it I'll probably keep those changes except that I'll use even less onion and even more tomato. I think this recipe would be great without changes, too. It claims to make 6 servings, but those servings must be awfully big, because this makes a lot. I think I'd call it 8-10 servings.
This is my #2 all time fave from this site, second only to the Brown Sugar Meatloaf. As are many others, I am guilty to modifications based on what I have in the house, as well as taste preferences. I am into easy prep and finding shortcuts, so I used an English cucumber and didn't remove the seeds, and the tomatos were those cute baby grape tomatoes, cut in half (used approx 20); no seed removal there also. Thanks to the advice of other reviewers here, I purchased bottled Greek dressing, and tossed in 1/2 cup. On the first try I only used 1/4 red onion, but I will upgrade that next time to 1/2. I would also double the lemon pepper, and add more salt (I use sea salt) and a liberal dose of freshly ground black pepper. Definitely more lemon... I will juice a full lemon next time...lemon is a leading flavor in authentic Greek cuisine, and 1 T is WAY too short. Also tossed in some sliced Greek pepperoncini (found in the condiment aisle near the olives), approx 1/4 cup. This is FABULOUS, and gets even better overnight. It is also very pretty and colorful when served in a glass bowl. Again, a keeper. Husband, kids, and picky grandkids ALL loved it. Thanks to the original submitter of this recipe. LoveLoveLove this!!!!!!
I made it exactly as the recipe said, except maybe just a little bit less red onion. I didn't do as the other responders did and add balsamic vinegar or anything. I wanted to try it as posted first. I don't think I'll ever change it. This is a very fresh, light, yummy and beautiful salad!
I made this recipe with some changes. I added garbanzo beans and green onions and chopped up the artichokes. Also instead of using the drained marinade I added some KRAFT Greek Vinaigrette Dressing that was in the fridge. This turned out really good! I wasn't sure if my son liked artichokes or not that's why I cut them up. My boyfriend and I love them so I couldn't omit them...the boy would have to suffer! Turns out everyone loved the salad...and the kid likes artichokes! My son's girlfriend was over the day after and had some and she loved it too. I also used gemelli pasta instead of the orzo...it was awesome!! Thanks! Erin
Made this recipe today exactly as instructed. I was pretty disappointed. The concept was good, but I found it extremely dry and tasteless. I see that other people changed the recipe. I believe you should make it the way stated first, then rate it. If you rate it a 5 and make tons of changes that is not a true rating. That is one of my pet peeves about this site. I will make it again but will definitely use a bottled dressing or ingredients that will make a good dressing.
Amazing. I took it to a party and the entire bowl was gone in 5 minutes. It was best on Day 3 so it is a really great dish if you want to make something ahead of time. Next time I will use the whole package of orzo with the same quantities of the other ingredients to make a bigger batch. Thank you!
I LOVE this salad!!! I am guilty of making a bit of changes though based on my tastes. I omitted the cherry tomatoes and the red onion and instead used 6 sundried tomatoes. I placed the sundried tomatoes and the black olives and the artichokes in the cuisinart and chopped all of it then mixed it with the pasta. Instead of the marinade I used Greek dressing like other reviewers. I also used dried parsley flakes (2 tbsp). This is an amazing salad. I'm going to have more!
