Mediterranean Orzo Spinach Salad

When I was growing up, my mother worked full time, so family dinners were deliciously predictable. My mom stayed true to her famous five; fried pork chops with mashed potatoes and homemade gravy, Italian spaghetti and meat sauce, tuna and noodle hot dish, homemade soup, and pot roast on Sundays. She detoured from those meals whenever she had the time to get creative, but regardless of what she served for dinner; it always came with a salad.

Old habits die hard. It wasn’t until I was well into my twenties I even considered preparing a salad made from anything but iceberg lettuce, wedged tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, and Wishbone Italian dressing. In my mind, that’s how everyone makes a salad until I discovered a love for foods from other cultures.  It introduced me to a whole new world of flavors and ingredients that brought me a deeper appreciation for salad.

Since then, I have absolutely loved new salad ideas. There is hardly an ingredient on earth that can’t incorporate into a salad. Yet, once in a while, there is the one I come back to again and again. Mediterranean Orzo and Spinach salad is not a new creation by any means. There are many delicious interpretations of this celebrated salad in the culinary universe.

I prefer my version because of the subtle Mediterranean influence infused into the flavor. A great salad should never be predictable or boring. A salad should leave you wanting more when the bowl is empty. To me, that is the beauty of this dish. I always want more.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you’ve made it please share it with me by tagging @culinarybutterfly on Pinterest.