Tender al dente orzo pasta, sweet summer cherries, and crunchy hazelnuts make for a scrumptious seasonal salad. Perfect picnic or potluck dish, and easy to make ahead of time.
Yield: 6servings
Ingredients
Salad:
1cupuncooked orzo pasta
2teaspoonskosher salt + 2 teaspoons olive oil for cooking the orzo
1/2poundbing cherriespitted and cut in half or quarters
About 12 fresh mint leaveschopped (about 1/4 cup chopped)
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
Vinaigrette:
1/4cupolive oil
1tablespoonhazelnut oil
2tablespoonswhite wine vinegar
1teaspoonhoney
1/4teaspoonkosher salt
1/8teaspoonpepper
Instructions
Add 2 teaspoons kosher salt to a large pot of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add orzo and boil until al dente according to your package directions (about 9 minutes for mine). Drain and toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil to help prevent sticking. Set aside to cool.
Once cool, pour orzo into a large bowl. Add cherries, hazelnuts, scallions, and mint. Toss gently to combine.
Add all vinaigrette ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together until smooth. Pour over salad. Stir until salad is coated with the dressing. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if desired.
Refrigerate sealed until ready to serve. Keeps refrigerated up to three days; if you prefer very crunchy hazelnuts, you may want to wait and add them right before serving.