This Vegan Caprese Salad with Orzo makes a tasty, balanced meal that takes 30 minutes to prepare! The marinated tofu feta is a great vegan feta substitute.
This post is sponsored by Pompeian, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
Vegan Caprese Salad with Orzo
These days I am extra busy with my dietetic internship and work, so the last thing I want to do is spend hours on dinner. Gimme fresh, gimme healthy, gimme I-don’t-need-to-use-the-oven. Enter: this vegan Caprese salad with orzo!
What is a Caprese Salad?
Traditional Caprese salad is an Italian dish made of sliced tomatoes, sliced mozzarella, fresh basil, olive oil, salt, and sometimes balsamic reduction. Doesn’t that sound like a perfect fresh and healthy dish?!
It’s a great appetizer or side, but I wanted to make a vegan Caprese salad that could also be enjoyed as a balanced meal.
Ingredients in Vegan Caprese Salad with Orzo
You can find the ingredients for this vegan salad at any grocery store – I always want to ensure that the ingredients I use are accessible and affordable! This vegan Caprese salad features:
- Orzo. A type of pasta that kind of looks like flat rice.
- Tomatoes.
- Basil.
- Pompeian Bold Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Made from 100% Spanish olives by The Olive Oil People! This adds healthy monounsaturated fats to this vegan Caprese salad, which helps your body absorb fat-soluble nutrients and may lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Balsamic vinegar. For a little tang.
- Marinated tofu feta. Simply marinate tofu in Pompeian Bold Extra Virgin Olive Oil for a difference you can taste. Add lemon juice, salt, and oregano, and you’ve got a vegan feta substitute that’s high in protein!
I used the Pompeian Bold Extra Virgin Olive Oil because it is great for dipping and drizzling. Whether you’re dipping bread in olive oil or drizzling into pesto or salads, Pompeian Bold Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the right choice. Click here to add Pompeian Bold Extra Virgin Oil to your Amazon cart! Along with this salad recipe, what other healthy recipes do you want to make with Pompeian olive oil?
How Do I Cook Orzo?
Although orzo doesn’t look quite like pasta shapes we’re more familiar with, you actually cook it like you would any other pasta! Boil it for about 8-10 minutes, drain, then add to the rest of the vegan Caprese salad ingredients. Make sure you’re using a fine-mesh strainer so the orzo doesn’t fall through.
Like this recipe? You might like these recipes, too:
Vegan Caprese Salad with Orzo
This Vegan Caprese Salad with Orzo makes a tasty, balanced meal that takes 30 minutes to prepare! The marinated tofu feta is a great vegan feta substitute.
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 cup dry orzo
- 1 1/2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1/4 cup Pompeian Bold Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the marinated tofu feta:
- 1 14-ounce block extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed*
- 2 tablespoons Pompeian Bold Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cook orzo according to package instructions.
- Cut tofu into 1/2-inch cubes.
- In a medium bowl, place all tofu feta ingredients; gently toss. Place in fridge to marinate.
- In a large bowl, add cooked orzo, tomatoes, basil, Pompeian Bold Extra Virgin Olive Oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt; toss to combine. Add marinated tofu; toss into salad.
Notes
*Use a tofu press, or wrap the tofu in paper towels and place in the sink with a heavy object on top. Press for 10-15 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 400.8
- Sugar: 3.6
- Sodium: 304.9
- Fat: 27.0
- Saturated Fat: 4.0
- Unsaturated Fat: 21.8
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 26.4
- Fiber: 2.6
- Protein: 16.1
- Cholesterol: 0
Thanks to Pompeian for sponsoring this post! I love working with brands whose products I really love and would honestly recommend. Thank you for your support!
