Although more commonly used in soups and stews, orzo works beautifully in salads as a delicious alternative to the more commonly used macaroni shapes found in mayonnaise heavy pasta salads.

Here’s a wonderful and festive looking salad recipe for Spinach and Orzo Salad with Cranberries and Almonds from the folks at Aggie’s Kitchen.

By the way, if you’re already a fan of orzo, you might also want to see our recipe for Creamy Indian Spiced Orzo Pudding.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat orzo, uncooked
3/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
about 3/4 of a 6 oz bag of baby spinach, thinly sliced
3/4 cup dried cranberries
4 oz gorgonzola, crumbled
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (I toast in a nonstick skillet over med heat for about 5 minutes)
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1-2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons minced onion
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/3 – 1/2 cup oil (I used grapeseed oil, but canola or light olive oil will work)
salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Spinach and Orzo Salad with Cranberries and Almonds.

You can also see our growing list of delicious salad recipe ideas, to help inspire your gatherings with friends and family throughout the year.

Also, here’s some convenient links to our first 100 Original Recipes on Hugging the Coast to make it easier for you to find culinary inspiration and ideas beyond appetizers.

Please join us tomorrow to see our latest daily food and cooking article, a recipe for a Dijon Cheddar Beer Spread.

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