Fall Orzo Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

This Fall Orzo Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette is loaded with autumn favorites including roasted butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, chopped kale, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries and goat cheese! It's topped with an easy, homemade apple cider vinaigrette that adds a sweet and tangy flavor to the salad!

If you love orzo salads, you'll also want to try my Greek orzo salad or my Italian orzo salad. Both are year round favorites for us!

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This salad is well suited to making in advance so the ingredients have time to absorb the vinaigrette. The orzo keeps this salad light enough for a holiday side dish, but the add ins make it hearty enough for a meal. It's the perfect seasonal salad to make for Thanksgiving or Christmas!

Another salad that's usually in my holiday line up is my roasted root vegetable salad, with similar ingredients to the orzo salad, like kale, pumpkin seeds and goat cheese.

Ingredient notes

• Orzo - This salad calls for 1 ½ cups of uncooked orzo pasta. It might not look like a lot, but it doubles in size when it cooks.
• Butternut squash - You'll need 2 cups of cubed butternut squash. This is about half of a small squash. Make sure to cut the squash into ½-inch cubes so it roasts quickly. If you're not a fan of peeling and cutting a squash, you can buy pre-cut squash cubes, or you can check out all my tips on how to peel and cut butternut squash.
• Brussels sprouts - Choose small ones as they roast faster and are less likely to taste bitter. Cut them in half and roast them cut side down.
• Kale - I like to use curly kale. Just make sure to chop it into small pieces and massage it before adding it to the salad. Otherwise, the leaves will be a bit tough. Other greens like spinach or arugula work too, but kale holds up better to the dressing so it works best for making this salad in advance.
• Pumpkin seeds - These add a little crunch to the salad. I prefer to use raw pumpkin seeds, but you can also use roasted. Chopped pecans also work well for a bit of crunch.
• Dried cranberries - These add a pop of tart and sweet flavor to the salad. If you prefer more sweet and less tart, golden raisins are a great substitute.
• Goat cheese - The creamy and tangy flavor pairs well with the other ingredients, especially the apple cider vinaigrette
• Homemade vinaigrette - This is a simple recipe and just requires extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, garlic powder and salt.

How to make this fall orzo salad

Once you have your squash and Brussels sprouts prepped, the rest of this recipe comes together quickly!

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425F. Place the squash and Brussels sprouts on a large sheet pan. Drizzle with oil and toss with seasonings. Spread them out on the pan to give them space to roast.

Step 2: Add the vinaigrette ingredients to a jar. Seal and shake until combined.

Step 3: Cook the orzo al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again.

Step 4: After 18-20 minutes, remove the roasted squash and Brussels sprouts from the oven and let cool slightly.

Step 5: Add the orzo and other ingredients to a large bowl. Toss to combine.

Step 6: Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss until everything is well coated.

Short on oven space? Use the air fryer!

If you're making this salad around the holidays, oven space may be in high demand. If this is the case for you, just roast the Brussels sprouts and squash separately in the air fryer. This air fryer maple Brussels sprouts recipe and these air fryer butternut squash cubes work perfectly in this orzo salad.

Fall orzo salad FAQs

More fall inspired recipes