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Home By Meal Lunch and Dinner

Grilled Veggie and Shrimp Orzo Salad

★★★★★ 7 Reviews Recipe Print
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By: Erin8/9/22

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Grilled Veggie & Orzo Salad
Grilled Veggie & Orzo Salad

Looking for a light lunch recipe? This delicious salad is perfect for pescatarians and anyone interested in eating healthier. Shrimp orzo salad filled with grilled veggies comes together in mere minutes.

grilled veggie orzo shrimp salad

A high-protein shrimp orzo salad

I don’t know about you, but when I hear “salad,” I think of crispy greens and fruit or veggies. I don’t think of protein – but this delicious salad is a fantastic source of protein!

In fact, I love to make this recipe when I am craving pasta salad. It’s lower in calories and higher in both protein and fiber. Plus, the chickpea pasta is a wonderful source of potassium, too. Potassium is essential for heart health.

This is also a great salad to make if you are going to be entertaining and need a side dish to make ahead of time. It tastes just as delicious hot and fresh as it does cold and chilled!

Serve this salad alongside your favorite seafood recipes or a hearty soup for a bigger meal, or enjoy the salad simply as-is!

grilled veggie orzo shrimp salad in two bowls
grilled veggie orzo shrimp salad

Ingredients needed

This recipe has two parts: the salad and the dressing. You can use a pre-made lemon vinaigrette, but for the most flavor, I recommend this quick and easy homemade version.

Salad

  • Jumbo shrimp: You will use 32 ounces of peeled jumbo shrimp. Uncooked, they will weigh about 865kg.
  • Zucchini: Cut your zucchini in large spears or thick round slices – whichever shape you like best for grilling.
  • Squash: To make this healthier, cut up a yellow squash into thick slices.
  • Red onion: Add some potent flavor with 1 small sliced red onion.
  • Red Pepper: Cut the red pepper into large pieces so it grills easier.
  • Banza Rice: This is what gives the salad the potassium and protein – use 8 ounces of Banza rice or chickpea pasta.
  • Tomatoes: Next, include 1/2 pint of Roma tomatoes that you cut in half. You can use beefsteak, cherry, plum, or whatever tomato variety you prefer. You will need to adjust the number of tomatoes based on the size — eyeballing the amount will be just fine!

Dressing

  • Olive oil: 1/2 cup of olive oil serves as the base of the salad dressing.
  • Red wine vinegar: Add a slight bite with 1/3 cup of red wine vinegar.
  • Lemon Juice: For the best flavor, use 3 tablespoons of fresh-squeezed lemon juice.
  • Garlic: 4 cloves of minced garlic (or 3/4 tsp of powder) will add delicious flavor.
  • Salt and Pepper: Add a teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper to enhance all the other flavors in this dressing.
  • Fresh Dill: Fresh dill will make every single ingredient in this salad stand out! Add about 3 tablespoons of fresh dill.
pasta and tomatoes in bowl
vegetables for grilled veggie orzo shrimp salad

Kitchen tools required

Even though this shrimp orzo salad is an easy recipe to create, it does require a hand full of kitchen tools. The following list includes everything you’ll need from start to finish.

  • Cutting board
  • Chopping knife
  • Medium mixing bowl
  • Aluminum foil
  • Whisk
  • Large saucepan
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Grill
  • Tongs
  • Nonstick spray

You’re also going to need these measuring cups: 1/2 tsp, 1 tsp, 1 tbsp, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup.

How to make shrimp orzo salad with grilled veggies

Whether you have made pasta salad before or not, this is a really quick and easy recipe that anyone can recreate.

First, prepare all of your veggies by chopping them into big chunks or slices. Spray all veggies with non-stick spray.

Then, preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Spray it with nonstick spray. Make sure you spray it well because the veggies might stick if you don’t.

For shrimp, spray a large piece of aluminum foil with nonstick spray. Add the shrimp to the foil and then add to the grill. Build up a little side wall/ledge of foil surrounding the shrimp to stay in place.

Next, add all of the veggies directly to the grill. Shut the lid and let the shrimp and veggies cook for 4 minutes.

After 4 minutes, flip all the veggies over and stir the shrimp around, ensuring it cooks evenly. Cook it for another 4 minutes.

Turn off the grill and take the shrimp and veggies off. Let them cool off completely.

Meanwhile, follow directions on the back of the Banza bag to cook and drain ‘rice’.

Now you are ready to add it all together! In a large bowl, add olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper to the bottom. Mix it together.

Add in the cooked orzo and sliced tomatoes.

Chop all of the grilled veggies into small bite-size pieces. Add them to a bowl with orzo and tomatoes, then add cooked shrimp and fresh dill. Stir until they are completely mixed together.

Serve the salad warm, or let it cool before serving! Whichever you prefer.

making grilled veggie orzo shrimp salad

Optional add-ins

If you’d like to add even more delicious ingredients to your salad, you have plenty of options! Just think of other veggies you like to grill. Here are some more ingredients you can include:

  • Mushrooms
  • Bok Choy
  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Carrots
  • Asparagus
  • Pineapple

Recipe Tips

Here are some questions people often ask about how to make this delicious shrimp salad with orzo. If you don’t see your question below, please leave it in the comments.

Is orzo a pasta or a rice?

Orzo is actually a pasta that is cut to look like rice. It is usually made from whole grain, semolina, or white flour. That is why I used a healthier chickpea pasta instead.

Is this orzo recipe healthy?

Yes, this orzo and shrimp recipe is really good for you! The shrimp and chickpea pasta are excellent sources of protein. All of the veggies in the salad are packed with antioxidants and vitamins.

How do you sweeten this salad dressing?

I would sweeten it with just a dab of honey or maple syrup. I prefer to use whole sweeteners over processed sugars.

making grilled veggie orzo shrimp salad
grilled veggie orzo shrimp salad in bowl

Storing leftovers

This shrimp orzo salad stores quite well! To save leftovers, simply add them to an airtight container and refrigerate them. The salad will stay delicious for about 2-3 days. Some say that the extra time gives it even more flavor, as the different ingredients are able to come together and further complement one another!

If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!

A hearty salad is always a great idea. Here are some more delicious and filling salad options to try!

  • Chicken Cobb Salad with Avocado Dressing
  • Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad
  • Grilled Steak and Peach Salad
  • Moroccan Couscous Salad

Recipe by Erin Morrissey and Photos by The Mindful Hapa

grilled veggie orzo shrimp salad
★★★★★ 5 from 7 reviews

Grilled Veggie Orzo Shrimp Salad

Looking for a light lunch recipe? This delicious salad is perfect for pescatarians and anyone interested in eating healthier. Shrimp orzo salad filled with grilled veggies comes together in mere minutes.

Prep: 20Cook: 30Total: 50 minutes
Yield 8 servings 1x
Print Pin it Rate

Ingredients

  • 32 oz raw, peeled jumbo shrimp (~865g uncooked)
  • 1 large zucchini, 480g
  • 1 yellow squash, 200 g
  • 1 red onion, 180g
  • 1 red pepper, 260g
  • 8oz Banza ‘rice’ 227g (chickpea pasta will also work)
  • 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved 200g
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 3 tbsp fresh dill

Instructions

  1. Prepare all of your veggies by chopping into big chunks or slices. Spray all veggies with non-stick spray.
  2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Spray with nonstick spray.
  3. For shrimp, spray a large piece of aluminum foil with nonstick spray. Add shrimp to foil and then add to grill. Build up a little side wall/ledge of foil surrounding the shrimp to stay in place.
  4. Add all veggies directly to the grill. Shut the lid and let the shrimp and veggies cook 4 minutes.
  5. After 4 minutes, flip all the veggies over and stir the shrimp around ensuring it cooks evenly. Cook another 4 minutes.
  6. Turn off grill and take shrimp and veggies off. Let cool.
  7. Meanwhile, follow directions on back of Banza bag to cook and drain ‘rice’.
  8. In a large bowl, add olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper to bottom. Mix together.
  9. Add in cooked orzo and sliced tomatoes.
  10. Chop all grilled veggies into small bite size pieces. Add to bowl with orzo and tomatoes, then add in cooked shrimp and fresh dill. Stir until completely mixed together.
  11. Serve warm or let cool before serving! Whichever you prefer.

Notes

*alternatively, roasted veggies at 400F for 15-20 minutes or until soft. Bake shrimp at 400 for 6-8 minutes.

Author: ErinCategory: lunch, meal prep, dinner, shrimp, salad, summer salad, shrimpMethod: grillCuisine: MediterraneanDiet: Gluten Free
grilled veggie orzo shrimp salad

Did you make this?

Leave a comment below and tag @erinliveswhole on social media!

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There may be affiliate links in this post! By purchasing a product I recommend, I may receive a small compensation. However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use myself. Thank you for supporting Erin Lives Whole, it helps keep this blog afloat 🙂

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Have a question? Use the form below to submit your question or comment. I love seeing what you made!

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Bailey says

    Posted on 12/4 at 11:20 am

    Love this one!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 12/5 at 12:39 pm

      Hi Bailey, so glad you enjoyed it!!

      Reply
  2. Lo Hershey says

    Posted on 10/22 at 4:24 pm

    Looks super delicious – but is not vegetarian (it comes up on your vegetarian link).

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 10/24 at 6:34 pm

      Hi Lo, so glad you loved it and thanks for letting me know!!

      Reply
  3. Catherine S. says

    Posted on 8/22 at 8:58 pm

    So perfectly yummy and summery! Added some grilled kielbasa sausage and Parmesan to beef it up a little for a dinner dish!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/24 at 4:22 pm

      Hi Catherine, so glad you liked it and great additions!

      Reply
  4. Beckie maddox says

    Posted on 8/18 at 8:01 pm

    This was delicious! Used a different shaped banza pasta instead of orzo and totally fine. Never tried Banza before and it was really good! The dressing is key. So good and a perfect light summer dinner! Def will be making again!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/21 at 3:07 pm

      Hi Beckie, so happy you loved it so much and made it your own! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Tova says

    Posted on 8/18 at 12:27 am

    Yum! The perfect summer meal prep- it makes so many servings!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/18 at 5:24 pm

      Hi Tova, so happy you loved the salad! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Kimberly says

    Posted on 8/15 at 3:57 pm

    I wanted something light for dinner and this was perfect! Can’t wait to try it with some different veggies and proteins!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/16 at 7:30 pm

      Hi Kimberly, so happy you loved it! 🙂

      Reply
  7. casey colodny says

    Posted on 8/11 at 4:11 pm

    Yummmm, I seriously couldn’t stop eating this!! Such a refreshing and yummy way to eat shrimp in the summer!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/11 at 6:10 pm

      Hi Casey, so glad you loved it! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Kaitlin says

    Posted on 8/10 at 9:44 pm

    Sooo yummy! Simple but so good. Perfect for a summer dinner. Can’t wait for my leftovers tomorrow 😋

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/11 at 2:04 pm

      Hi Kaitlin, so happy you loved the salad! 🙂

      Reply

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I’m Erin. Creator of Erin Lives Whole, a food blog with delicious and easy healthy recipes that will leave you feeling good. We’ve got everything from wholesome baked goods to comforting savory dishes. I can’t wait to see what you whip up! Read More...

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