Collard Orzo Salad

Sometimes it's nice to have a delicious and refreshing salad for dinner, and it's a break from long cooking sessions over a hot stove (though I usually thrive in that environment 🤗). I recently grabbed a couple of bunches of organic collard greens at the store because the kale was not looking the best 😁 🍃

​After trying to figure out what to do with them, inspiration came after recalling a friends dish that I've made many times over since we lived in Arizona. Years ago I snagged a super bowl party recipe from my friend Nicole, and this is a combination of raw collard greens and her Greek Orzo pasta 👌

You will need:

1/2 cup orzo pasta (makes about 1 cup cooked)
1/2 medium cucumber, sliced and quartered
10 grape tomatoes, quartered
1 small bunch collard leaves, raw and finely shredded (I piled them on top of each other then sliced them in half, layered them on top of each other again and sliced super thin using my santuko knife)
1 medium carrot, shredded
2 sweet baby peppers, quartered and sliced thin
1/4 small red onion, diced
8 kalamata olives, finely chopped
2 tbsp kalamata olive vinegar
2 oz reduced fat feta
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried basil

Putting it all together:

Cook the orzo pasta according to instructions on package, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process while also chilling the pasta. Combine shredded collard greens with the lemon juice, kalamata olive vinegar, olive oil and spices, mixing until well combined to allow the greens to tenderize a little. Chop all vegetables and olives; add into the greens, stirring well. Lastly, mix in the orzo, dole out into a dish and top with a sprinkle of feta cheese. This can be eaten standalone or served as a fresh side for any meal! Makes about 4 servings 🌸

See MFP nutritional info below! 👇