Jump to Recipe·5 from 1 review

This orzo pasta salad is hearty and refreshing, perfect for summer gatherings, meal prepped lunches, or an easy crowd-pleasing dinner. It’s creamy from the homemade big mac sauce, satisfying from the tender orzo and vegan beef crumbles, and packed with savoury nostalgic flavour. Ready with minimal effort but tastes thoughtfully put together, all in under 20 minutes.

I don’t say this lightly but: orzo pasta salad changed my mind completely about what a pasta salad can be.

Most pasta salads are the ones you find in the grocery store deli aisle or the company barbecue. Sloppy, overly tangy piles of mush from too much mayonnaise or vinaigrette, and predictable ingredients.

Not this one! I wanted something that tasted and looked like a real meal. Something you’d readily serve as a main dish, but still happily bring to a gathering.

Why it works on every plate

Too many pasta salads blend together in flavour, and get lost in the shuffle. My vegan orzo pasta salad stands the test of time because of its recognizable ingredients, iconic flavours and speedy prep time.

The Big Mac sauce is what makes this dish so versatile. And I have come to believe that there’s very few dinners this salad won’t elevate. I recently paired it with my favourite seitan chicken fingers that went highly rated by my two and a half year old. Not to mention, I brought a few of our more popular salad recipes to a recent family potluck, and this was the first one gone!

Put this dish on repeat

I recipe tested this one extensively, since orzo was a relatively new pasta shape to me. Now, when I revisit this Big Mac pasta salad, I’m reminded why it keeps showing up in my rotation:

  • This pasta salad is hearty enough to be a main! It’s not a side dish filler, it can hold its own.
  • I purposely wanted it to be flexible with temperature, so that you can heat it up or have it cold. I prefer cold most of the time with fresh lettuce, but it also makes for a great late night warmed snack.

Keep the sauce lively

A quick lesson I learned after countless taste tests was to toss the orzo in the sauce while warm, if possible. You can certainly toss all ingredients together in a bowl, but do it this way and the copycat Big Mac sauce will cling without turning the pasta mushy.

Make this dish shine every time

One more thing that I’ve learned after making this dish on repeat all summer long is that how you serve this Big Mac pasta salad matters just as much as when you make it. A few small choices can totally change the experience if you ask me:

  • Serve it slightly above fridge-cold. I prefer mine after letting it sit out of the fridge for 10-25 minutes before digging in.
  • Always try to hold back a bit of sauce. It’s a minor detail, but I love drizzling a bit more on top before serving, to keep it creamy and smooth.
  • Do a quick taste-test before it hits the table! I find the orzo absorbs a lot of flavour, so giving it a once-over and doing any minor adjustments just before serving can go a long way, if you’ve got the patience!
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Big Mac Orzo Pasta Salad (Vegan Risoni Reipe)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Greg Bellefontaine
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Category: salads
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This orzo pasta salad is hearty and refreshing, perfect for summer gatherings, meal prepped lunches, or an easy crowd-pleasing dinner. It’s creamy from the homemade big mac sauce, satisfying from the tender orzo and vegan beef crumbles, and packed with savoury nostalgic flavour. Ready with minimal effort but tastes thoughtfully put together, all in under 20 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups dry orzo
  • 1 package vegan ground beef
  • 1/2 diced white onion
  • 1/3 cup sweet relish
  • 2 cups shredded lettuce
  • 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 batches vegan Big Mac sauce
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a large pot, bring water to a boil and cook orzo according to package instructions. Strain and set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, bring a medium skillet to heat and add vegan beef and onion. Cook until onions are translucent and beef is browned. Set aside to cool.
  4. Add strained orzo pasta to a large serving bowl and mix with relish, vegan beef mixture, vegan cheese, shredded lettuce, and vegan Big Mac sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using. Let fully cool in the fridge or serve immediately.

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