Greek style orzo salad

This substantial salad is delicious with barbecued pork fillet and it is perfect for the holiday flavours that we enjoy so much when dining al fresco

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS FOR THE DRESSING

50ml rice wine vinegar 70ml orange juice

1 tbsp honey

2 spring onions, finely chopped 120ml rapeseed oil

FOR THE SALAD

100g uncooked orzo

4 tbsp chopped sundried tomatoes 300g cooked chickpeas

12 medium sized spinach leaves, washed and shredded

1 medium sized cucumber

80g feta cheese, crumbled

10 to 12 mint leaves, to garnish Orange zest, for the top (optional)

METHOD

1 To prepare the dressing, combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in a bowl. Pour in the oil and whisk very well. Check for seasoning, adding a little more honey if needed and salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Set aside.

2 Cook the orzo according to the packet’s instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water. The orzo must be completely cold before using.

3 Combine the orzo and sundried tomato pieces together in a bowl. Retain a few pieces of the sundried tomato for the top. Add the drained cold chickpeas. Spoon in 3 tbsp of dressing and mix well. Season with salt and freshly-ground black pepper.

4 To de-seed the cucumber, slice it lengthways, use a teaspoon to run down the length and take out the seeds, then slice the halves thinly.

5 Stir the shredded spinach leaves and half the cucumber slices through the salad. Spoon into your serving bowl or platter. Leave in the fridge to infuse for 30 minutes.

6 Arrange the rest of the cucumber on top as well as the sundried tomato pieces. Crumble the feta cheese on the top. Garnish with mint leaves and some orange zest. Serve extra dressing separately.