Greek Crab, Artichoke & Orzo Salad

The other day, it was a lamb night. I was thinking of all kinds of good ways to prepare it, but I finally decided on marinating in a my tomato vinaigrette Heirloom Tomato, Garlic & Herb Vinaigrette with Steak Salad I had made for a salad a couple of days earlier. It came out delicious. But I also needed an equally delicious side dish to go with the lamb. I came up with an orzo salad made with crab, artichoke hearts and other vegetables.

I went upstairs to my library and started looking for some Greek inspiration. I found a great sounding recipe, but of course, I did what I do best, and I made it even better, at least in our opinion. 🙂 I added more vegetables and more stuff, making it even more Greek.

Greek Crab & Artichoke Salad

1 lb orzo, cooked according to the package directions

1 TBSP garlic

1/2 red onion, diced fine

1/2 red bell pepper, diced fine

1/2 cucumber, diced fine

1 can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and cut in 1/2

1/2 cup green olives, sliced

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

salt & pepper to taste

red pepper flakes to taste

1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar

2-3 TBSP lemon balsamic vinegar, optional

1/2 cup olive oil

4-6 basil leaves, chiffonade

4-6 sprigs fresh oregano, chopped

2- TBSP lemon verbena, chiffonade, optional

feta cheese, optional

Cook the orzo according to the package directions, then drain.

Combine all the herbs, seasonings, vinegar and olive oil together and set aside.

Add all the vegetables and crab into the orzo. Add the dressing and toss together well. Chill until ready to use.

I served this cool Mediterranean/Greek salad as a side dish to my lamb kebabs.

I marinated the lamb in my tomato vinaigrette for about 6 hours before cutting it into cubes and grilling them.

We enjoyed a delicious Greek dinner out on the deck, complete with hummus, pita bread and, of course wine. It was a perfect summer meal.

There was a lot of this delicious salad, so it has already been used a couple of other times since I made it. I served it on our 4th of July feast hat we shared with friends, and then last night I re-created it yet again, into something completely different once more. The Queen paid me yet another visit, but this time she was Greek. I didn’t take pictures of it for the latest remake, but it was yet another big hit. I used the last of my tomato vinaigrette and cooked some shrimp in it, adding more garlic and fresh black pepper, then served it all over the orzo salad, that I heated up this time. It was just as good the second time around as it was the first time, maybe even better. You’ll just have to take my word for it and trust me. 🙂

As I always say, play with your food. Be creative. Have fun. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.