Can you make this salad in advance?

The salad tastes best after the ingredients have had a chance to sit together in the fridge for a few hours. If you're preparing the salad the day before, I would wait to add the fresh basil as it will wilt in the salad. As the orzo absorbs the dressing, I would also make extra vinaigrette and toss some more in just before serving.

Do you need to grill the veggies and peaches?

While grilling the corn, zucchini and peaches adds extra flavor to this salad, you can skip it if you wish. You can roast the corn and zucchini in the oven. Or you can add everything to the salad raw and use canned or frozen corn.

Grilled Summer Vegetable Orzo Salad with Peaches

Description

This Grilled Summer Vegetable Orzo Salad is a light and fresh pasta salad, loaded with grilled corn, zucchini and peaches. It brings together the best of summer ingredients, making it the perfect side dish for BBQs, picnics and potlucks.

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the salad:

1 1/2 cups orzo, uncooked
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 ears fresh corn, husks removed
2 medium-sized zucchini, halved lengthwise
3 peaches, skin on, halved and pitted
1 1/2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup crumbled feta

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Instructions

Prepare the vinaigrette:

Add the ingredients to a jar. Seal the lid and shake until combined.

Prepare the salad:

Cook the orzo according to package instructions. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again.
Preheat your grill on high. Brush the corn, zucchini and peaches with the 1 tablespoon of oil, and season the corn with the salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to medium and add the corn. Grill for 12-16 minutes, rotating every few minutes until the corn starts to char and is cooked on all sides.
Once the corn has been on the grill for about 5-7 minutes, add the zucchini and peaches. Grill for 6-8 minutes, flipping after 3-4 minutes. You’ll want them to be tender but not mushy.
Remove the corn, zucchini and peaches from the grill and let cool. Cut the corn away from the cob and chop the zucchini and peaches into bite-sized pieces.
In a large bowl, add the orzo, corn, zucchini, peaches, tomatoes, basil, feta and vinaigrette, and toss to combine.
Serve immediately or let sit in the fridge for a few hours. Leftovers should be enjoyed within 2-3 days.

Notes

If you don’t have an outdoor grill, you can use an indoor grill or grill pan. When I use my outdoor grill, I can fit everything on the grill at the same time. When I use my indoor grill, I have limited space, so I grill the corn first and then the zucchini and peaches.
Don’t grill the veggies and peaches for too long as they’ll be mushy in the salad. You just want to grill them until tender with a bit of charring.
Make sure the peaches are ripe but firm to prevent them from getting too soft on the grill.
Make sure the orzo and grilled ingredients are cooled before assembling the salad, otherwise, the basil will wilt and the feta may melt.