Summer vegetable salad with orzo
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Orzo, a small rice-shaped pasta, is a great base for light summer salads. And it’ll make your salad something to talk about: Your guests will debate whether the dish is rice or pasta.
To keep the orzo from clumping together after cooking, quickly stir in the vinegar and lemon juice. Buy really ripe good tomatoes (or use the best from your garden) because the juices from the tomatoes form the salad dressing, along with the juices from the other vegetables.
Serve the salad chilled, with a sprinkle of sunflower seeds for a nice crunch.
Spray bottom of large saucepan with nonstick cooking spray. Heat oil over medium-low heat, then add shallot and saute about 1 minute, stirring. Stir in orzo. Add broth. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, 10 to 11 minutes. Put orzo in large bowl. Stir in vinegar and lemon juice. Stir in tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, green pepper, onion, basil, salt and pepper.
Cover and chill 1 hour. Stir in lettuce. Spoon into serving bowl and sprinkle with sunflower seeds.
Look for orzo at well-stocked supermarkets and gourmet markets.
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