Veggie-Orzo Summer Salad

This summer salad is quick, healthy, and super yummy. It is loaded with vegetables but it has such a simple taste. I think that it will be the next picnic food for me. It would also be a great dish to serve on the side of some cooked fish.

It was inspired by this blog and that cook, Cate, was inspired by another blog! So as you can see, it is was a typical cooking experiment for me.

Ingredients:
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 1/2 cups orzo
extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 orange pepper, chopped
1 baby summer squash, cut in half lengthwise, and then sliced
6 asparagus stalks, cut into 1" pieces
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
~2 1/2 T fresh parsley, chopped
6-7 basil leaves, chopped
freshly grated sea salt and black pepper
~2 T french feta cheese, chopped (this is a creamier feta than Greek)
1 15-oz can chic peas, drained and rinsed in a colander

dressing ingredients:
1/8 c extra virgin olive oil
1/8 c red wine vinegar
1/8 c freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 t honey
freshly grated sea salt and black pepper (to taste)

1. Boil water in a pot. Add the bouillion cube and the orzo. Cook for about 7-9 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.

2. Meanwhile, prepare all veggies, herbs and cheese by chopping them up.

3. In a medium size frying pan, with a splash of olive oil (~1 t) saute the onion and pepper. This should be done until the onion is starting to soften and become translucent. Then add the squash, and asparagus. Cook for another 3-4 minutes over medium heat, occasionally stirring. The vegetables should just be flash sauteed, not cooked all the way through. This way they will be a little sweeter in the salad and still fresh. Once they are just tender, remove from the heat and let them cool for a few minutes.

 4. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a bowl. Add the veggies and stir. Then add the orzo and stir. Then add the feta, spices, and tomatoes and stir. Serve lukewarm or place in fridge to cool down.