Spinach and Orzo Salad

This recipe contains nearly all the classic Greek salad ingredients, but has a distinct character of its own because of the orzo and the pureed spinach.
Serves 4.
Can be made into a meal by adding two cans of sardines. The sardines should be added to the top of the salad just before serving.

Yield:
serves 4 persons
Category:
Salads and Dressings
Cuisine:
Greek

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 cup orzo pasta
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 160 g feta cheese, roughly crumbled
  • 20 Kalamata Greek olives pitted, roughly chopped
  • 100 g (3 1/2 ounces) baby spinach
  • 1 red (or orange or yellow) bell pepper, diced
  • 1 large tomato, diced
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion (about half a red onion)
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp vinegar, can be white, red or balsamic, or use a tablespoon of lemon juice 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar (can substitute white wine vinegar or lemon juice)
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp. dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Cook the orzo pasta. Bring to a boil a pot with 2 quarts of water in it. Once the water is boiling, salt it with a couple teaspoons of salt. Once the water returns to a boil add the orzo to the pot. Leave uncovered, cook on high heat with a vigorous boil. Put the timer on for 8-10 minutes, or whatever your pasta package says is appropriate for al dente (cooked but still a little firm). Drain. Rinse with cold water to cool quickly.
  2. Toast the pine nuts by heating a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and stir occasionally until the pine nuts are lightly browned. Pay attention or you'll burn the pine nuts.
  3. Take half of the spinach and purée it in a food processor or blender, adding one tablespoon of the olive oil. Chop the other half of the spinach. In a large serving bowl mix, the spinach purée olive oil mixture in with cooked orzo until the pasta is well coated with the purée. Then gently mix in the remaining spinach, the red onion, feta cheese, p

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