Lemony Chicken & Corn Orzo Salad
Orzo cooked al dente, tossed warm with charred corn, grilled chicken, feta, fresh basil, a lemon-olive-oil dressing. The pasta salad that's somehow lighter than pasta salad has any right to be. August dinner on a plate.
Orzo is the cheat-code pasta. Looks like rice, behaves like pasta, cooks in nine minutes, soaks up flavour like couscous, holds at room temperature without going gummy. For salads, it's structurally superior to any other shape: small enough that every forkful has a balanced ratio of grain to extras, but big enough to retain bite when chilled.
This is high-summer cooking. The corn is fresh, kernels cut off raw cobs and tossed straight in (or charred briefly in a dry skillet — your call). The chicken is leftover or grilled. The feta is crumbled. The basil is torn (not chopped — basil bruises). The lemon is heavy. Olive oil generous. Salt judicious. This is the dish you make when the farmers' market is overwhelming you and you've come home with too much of everything.
The photo shows the bowl, top-down: orzo evenly distributed with flecks of green (basil, parsley) and yellow (corn kernels), white crumbles of feta, golden chicken pieces folded through. Lemon halves on the side for the squeeze that happens immediately before serving. This is the dish that goes from the kitchen to a deck table to a plate to a stomach in about fifteen minutes flat.
Method
ii.-
01
Cook the orzo
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the orzo for 8 minutes
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02
Cut the corn
If using fresh corn, slice the kernels off the cob with a sharp knife
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03
Whisk the dressing
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and zest,
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04
Combine
In a large bowl, combine the drained orzo, corn, chicken, red onion,
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05
Rest and serve
Let sit 10 minutes for flavours to meld. Serve at room temperature or