This Salmon Orzo Salad works because of one thing: the sear. A hot pan browns the salmon into something crisp and savory on the outside while the inside stays tender, a texture you just don't get from baking or poaching the same fillet. Pair that hot, crisp fish with the herby orzo salad underneath, and you've got two different textures in the same bite. Skip the sear and you're just eating poached fish over pasta salad.
What Makes This Different
A hard sear gives the salmon a crisp, browned crust with a tender center underneath, and red wine vinegar keeps the orzo salad sharp instead of heavy. Most weeknight salmon dinners either overcook the fish chasing a food-safety number or serve it next to a side that does nothing for it, and this one avoids both.
This one's been in my rotation since I first developed it. It's the dinner I reach for when not everyone at the table's excited about a plain piece of salmon, since the orzo salad makes the whole plate feel like more than just fish.
It comes together in about 40 minutes total, and it's genuinely make-ahead, since the vinaigrette and orzo both hold up if you make them a day or two ahead.
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What I Learned Making This
Lisa's the one who caught this. She'd ordered a salad somewhere with crushed pistachios instead of whole ones, and came back talking about how the crunch showed up in every single bite instead of just the ones where you happened to land on a whole nut. I tried it here, and she was right. A rough chop with a knife (or a few pulses in a food processor) is all it takes.
It's a small change, but it's the kind of detail that separates a salad that's good in theory from one that actually delivers the same texture bite after bite.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Ingredient Notes
- Orzo. It looks like rice, but it's pasta. Look for it with the other dry pastas, not in the rice aisle.
- Basil and chives. Fresh only. Dried herbs won't give you the same brightness this salad needs.
- Feta cheese. I almost always buy a block stored in brine. It has a fresher, more assertive flavor than pre-crumbled feta, though pre-crumbled works fine if that's what you have.
- Pistachios, crushed. Roughly chop them with a knife, or pulse a few times in a food processor. Whole pistachios cluster their crunch in a few bites; crushed, they show up throughout the salad.
- Salmon. Wild-caught gives you the best flavor, but farm-raised works well, too. I prefer individual cuts rather than one large fillet, since they cook faster and I can control doneness more easily. This recipe was tested with salmon cuts about 1.5 inches thick. Choose cuts that are close to the same size and shape so they cook at the same rate; ask the fishmonger to portion them from a larger fillet if you can't find matched pieces. Skin-on or skin-off both work, though skin-on cooks a little more evenly since the skin insulates the flesh as it cooks (it pulls off easily afterward if you don't want to eat it). I use skin-on.
- If you want a salmon recipe that stands fully on its own, this Sockeye Salmon with a zesty maple ginger glaze is the one I reach for. This orzo salad is the one I make when not everyone at the table's excited about a plain piece of salmon.
How to Make
Prepare the orzo according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.
Make Orzo & Vinaigrette
Cook the orzo and let it cool
Whisk the red wine vinaigrette.
Combine salad
Toss the orzo, herbs, vegetables, feta and crushed pistachios with the vinaigrette.
Cook Salmon
Sear the salmon in a hot pan. Divide the salad among bowls and top with salmon
Before You Make this
- Crush the pistachios instead of leaving them whole. Whole nuts mean some bites get crunch and others don't. A rough chop spreads it through the whole bowl.
- Get the pan properly hot before the salmon goes in. That's what gives you the crust: a browned, crisp exterior with more concentrated flavor than you'd get from a gentler cooking method. It also protects the fish from overcooking, since a hard sear cooks fast instead of slowly heating it through.
- Cook to temperature, not time, whether you sear or grill. Fillet thickness varies more than a fixed cook time accounts for, so a timer alone will overcook some cuts and undercook others. Use an instant-read thermometer instead. Salmon keeps cooking after it comes off the heat, so pulling it at the right internal temperature is the difference between tender and overcooked. I pull mine at 120-125°F. The center will still look slightly translucent and will finish coming together as it rests. The USDA's recommended safe temperature for cooked salmon is 145°F. I find thinner, wild-caught fillets overcook by the time they hit that number, given the residual cooking after they come off the heat. Cook to the temperature you're comfortable with.
Make Ahead & Storage
Cook the orzo up to a day ahead. Drain well, toss lightly with olive oil so it doesn't clump, and refrigerate in a covered container until you're ready to build the salad.
Make the vinaigrette up to two days ahead and keep it refrigerated.
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Recipe
Pan-Seared Salmon Orzo Salad
Ingredients
Orzo Salad:
- 12 ounces dried orzo
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 2 large handfuls of baby spinach, chopped
- 8 ounces grape tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup thinly sliced basil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- ⅓ cup pistachios, roughly chopped
- 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
Salmon:
- 4 (4-6 ounce) salmon filets
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- Salt and pepper
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Instructions
To make the Orzo Salad:
- Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent orzo from sticking. Set aside.12 ounces dried orzo
- Meanwhile, whisk the vinegar, shallots, garlic and ⅓ cup olive oil together in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots, 2 garlic cloves, , ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, Salt and pepper
- Add spinach, tomatoes, basil, chives and cooked orzo to the bowl with the vinaigrette. Stir to combine. Gently fold in feta cheese and pistachios.2 large handfuls of baby spinach, , 8 ounces grape tomatoes, , ¼ cup thinly sliced basil, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, ⅓ cup pistachios, , 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
To make Salmon:
- Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Pat salmon dry and season with salt and pepper. Place flesh-side down in the pan and cook 4 minutes. Flip, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the internal temperature reaches 125°F, or your preferred doneness. Total time will vary with the size and thickness of your salmon.4 (4-6 ounce) salmon filets, 1 tablespoon avocado oil, Salt and pepper
To serve:
- Evenly divide orzo salad among four bowls. Top with a salmon filet. Serve immediately.
Notes
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Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
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