Orzo Caprese Salad

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Classic caprese ingredients (basil, mozzarella, tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette) modernized into a salad with spinach and orzo pasta.

Classic caprese ingredients (basil, mozzarella, tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette) modernized into a salad with spinach and orzo pasta.
Classic caprese ingredients (basil, mozzarella, tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette) modernized into a salad with spinach and orzo pasta.

Classic caprese ingredients (basil, mozzarella, tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette) modernized into a salad with spinach and orzo pasta.The salad obsession continues. If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been on a little bit of a salad kick lately. It’s all in an effort to live a healthier lifestyle. I keep coming up with different salad combinations to keep things interesting, so that our fruits and veggies are always tasty and something we want to dig-in to rather than a chore to eat.

Classic caprese ingredients (basil, mozzarella, tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette) modernized into a salad with spinach and orzo pasta.Today’s orzo caprese salad is so simple yet so tasty. What is it about caprese that makes it so wonderful yet seem fancy at the same time? I mean it’s only basil, tomatoes, mozzarella, and balsamic vinaigrette. Who knows? All I know is that it’s delicious! Gotta love the simple things in life :)

Classic caprese ingredients (basil, mozzarella, tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette) modernized into a salad with spinach and orzo pasta.With just a few simple ingredients, you can create a huge batch at the beginning of the week and enjoy it all week long!

Classic caprese ingredients (basil, mozzarella, tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette) modernized into a salad with spinach and orzo pasta.Warren even proclaimed, “I could eat this everyday”! Now that’s a testament. Pair it with a protein like my baked lemon and herb salmon or lemon chicken, or enjoy it as a meal all on it’s own, straight from the bowl! No judgement here ;)

Classic caprese ingredients (basil, mozzarella, tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette) modernized into a salad with spinach and orzo pasta.To prepare this salad, start with a large bowl of spinach and basil leaves.

Classic caprese ingredients (basil, mozzarella, tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette) modernized into a salad with spinach and orzo pasta.Top it with some hot and freshly cooked orzo pasta. The hot pasta will help wilt the spinach leaves slightly and get the juices from the soon-to-be-added tomatoes flowing.

Classic caprese ingredients (basil, mozzarella, tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette) modernized into a salad with spinach and orzo pasta.Throw in some quartered tomatoes. I used the same contraption I used in my Mediterranean rice & quinoa bowl to quarter the tomatoes in seconds.

Classic caprese ingredients (basil, mozzarella, tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette) modernized into a salad with spinach and orzo pasta.Then, add in fresh mozzarella. I bought a block and just cut it into cubes. Beats the shredded stuff by leaps and bounds!

Classic caprese ingredients (basil, mozzarella, tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette) modernized into a salad with spinach and orzo pasta.The dressing is a 1:1 ratio of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Whisk the two together and drizzle it over the salad.

Classic caprese ingredients (basil, mozzarella, tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette) modernized into a salad with spinach and orzo pasta.Finally, give it a big stir.

Classic caprese ingredients (basil, mozzarella, tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette) modernized into a salad with spinach and orzo pasta.Ta-da! I told you it was simple :D

Classic caprese ingredients (basil, mozzarella, tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette) modernized into a salad with spinach and orzo pasta.Enjoy, friends!

Classic caprese ingredients (basil, mozzarella, tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette) modernized into a salad with spinach and orzo pasta.

Orzo Caprese Salad

Yields 6-8 servings
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Salad
Ingredients
3 cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped
2 cups grape tomatoes, quartered
1 cup uncooked orzo, freshly cooked
24 fresh basil leaves, chopped
½ pound fresh mozzarella, diced into ½ inch cubes

Directions

    1. In a large bowl, add the spinach and tomatoes.
    2. While the orzo is still hot, add it to the spinach and let stand for about 5 minutes to slightly wilt the spinach and get the tomato juices flowing.
    3. Add the basil leaves and mozzarella cubes.
    4. Drizzle with the dressing (recipe follows).

Dressing
Ingredients
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

      1. Whisk together both ingredients.

Storage
Store covered in refrigerator for up to 7 days.

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