My Greek parents tried Ina Garten's Greek orzo salad, and now they can't stop making it

I made Ina Garten's Greek orzo salad, and it got my Greek parents' stamp of approval.Anneta Konstantinides/Business InsiderI made Ina Garten's Greek orzo salad for my Greek parents. The light and refreshing salad features feta, orzo, chickpeas, kalamata olives, and red bell pepper.My parents loved the delicious dish, and now they can't stop making it for dinner. I love reviewing Ina Garten's recipes, and often have my parents help test them with me.When the pandemic hit and the US went into lockdown, Garten inspired me to finally improve my skills in the kitchen. And when I briefly moved back in with my parents, they were more than happy to sample my creations.It's since become a tradition, and I whip up new "Barefoot Contessa" dishes for my parents every time I come for a visit.When I saw that Ina Garten had a Greek orzo salad, I knew my Greek parents had to try it.I've also made my parents taste test all the Greek items at Trader Joe's.Anneta Konstantinides/Business InsiderMy parents immigrated to the US from Greece in the 1980s, and they made sure to teach me about Greek culture through food. My dad made his delicious pastitsio (like lasagna, but better) every week, and whipped up avgolemono soup whenever one of us was sick. Every Christmas was celebrated with a big pan of baklava, and youvetsi was a dinner staple. But my parents are always willing to try something new — they tested 15 different "Greek" products from Trader Joe's to see which tasted authentic! So, when I told them Garten had a Greek orzo salad, they were super excited. Garten's Greek orzo salad is packed with fresh ingredients.Ingredients for Ina Garten's Greek orzo salad.Anneta Konstantinides/Business InsiderTo make Garten's Greek orzo salad, which serves six, you'll need: 1 cup of orzo (about 8 ounces) 1 cup of canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained2 cups of baby arugula 4 ounces of Greek feta, ½-inch diced (not crumbled) ½ cup of good olive oil ½ cup of diced red bell pepper (¼-inch) ½ cup of diced red onion (¼-inch) ½ cup of kalamata olives, pitted and halved lengthwise ¼ cup of freshly-squeezed lemon juice, plus extra for serving 3 tablespoons of capers in brine, drained 3 tablespoons of minced fresh dill Garten's Greek orzo salad appears in her most recent cookbook, "Go-To Dinners," and was inspired by Round Swamp Farm, a third-generation family farm in East Hampton. "Their prepared food and baked goods are simply outstanding," she writes. "This recipe was inspired by one of their salads; it has all the Greek ingredients that I love — orzo, olives, feta, lemon, and dill." The first step to making Garten's salad is prepping the orzo.Boiling water for the orzo.Anneta Konstantinides/Business InsiderI brought six cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan.I added the orzo and one tablespoon of salt to my saucepan.Cooking the orzo.Anneta Konstantinides/Business InsiderOnce you've added the orzo, Garten says you should return the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for eight to 10 minutes.You'll know it's ready when the orzo is al dente. While my orzo cooked, I began cutting my veggies.Prepping the veggies.Anneta Konstantinides/Business InsiderI diced the red onion and red bell pepper, per Garten's instructions.I prepped my chickpeas and capers.Prepping the chickpeas and capers.Anneta Konstantinides/Business InsiderI rinsed and drained the chickpeas and made sure to drain my capers.I also halved my kalamata olives, minced the dill, and diced my feta cheese.The halved kalamata olives.Anneta Konstantinides/Business InsiderGarten's Greek orzo salad comes together quickly; the only real work is cutting all the veggies and herbs. I had my dad helping me, so it took even less time. It didn't take long to make the dressing.The dressing for Garten's Greek orzo salad.Anneta Konstantinides/Business InsiderI just whisked together the lemon juice and olive oil with two teaspoons of salt and one teaspoon of black pepper, and voilà! It was ready. When the orzo was ready, I drained it and transferred my pasta to a large bowl.My cooked orzo.Anneta Konstantinides/Business InsiderIt was time to build the salad!First, I poured the vinaigrette over the warm pasta.Pouring the dressing onto the orzo.Anneta Konstantinides/Business InsiderI made sure to stir it well so the orzo would absorb all that delicious flavor. Then, I added the chickpeas, onion, and bell pepper.Adding veggies to the orzo.Anneta Konstantinides/Business InsiderEverything was already looking so colorful.I topped it off with the capers, dill, olives, and feta and gave everything a big stir.The salad was almost ready!Anneta Konstantinides/Business InsiderI used two spoons to help me carefully combine all the ingredients. I stirred in the arugula just before serving.Garten's Greek orzo salad is colorful.Anneta Konstantinides/Business InsiderGarten says you can enjoy her salad either warm or at room temperature, but hold off on adding the arugula if you're making it the day before — no one likes soggy leaves in their salad. Once you're ready to serve, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and taste for seasoning. I should also note that Garten advises serving this with sliced lemon. My parents didn't love the idea of whole lemon pieces in the salad, so we decided to nix them. Garten's Greek orzo salad looked fresh and vibrant.My parents were impressed with Garten's Greek orzo salad.Anneta Konstantinides/Business InsiderI always love serving a salad full of color, and Garten's Greek orzo salad has plenty. The pop of red from the bell pepper, the fresh green from the arugula, and the bright purple from the onion all worked together to make a beautiful plate. My parents looked impressed as I brought the salad to the dinner table. But would it taste as good as it looked? Garten's Greek orzo salad was super delicious — and now my parents can't stop making it.My parents now love making Garten's Greek orzo salad at home.Anneta Konstantinides/Business InsiderThe orzo soaks up so many delicious Mediterranean flavors that are familiar to any Greek — salty chunks of feta intertwining with the rich kalamata olives, the texture of crisp bell pepper and red onion dancing together, that pop of fresh lemon brightening every bite. Even though there were so many different components to the salad, everything was perfectly balanced. The light and refreshing dish is also easy to make and still tastes great the next day. It's perfect as a barbecue side dish or a main dish on a hot summer night. My dad recommends pairing it with some grilled meats or fish.My parents now love whipping up Garten's Greek orzo salad, and I'm not surprised. The dish tastes like something we would've eaten while watching the turquoise waves of the Aegean Sea during our summer trips to Greece. "Ina must've been Greek in one of her previous lives," my mom declared. Read the original article on Business Insider

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