Roasted Mushroom, Arugula and Orzo Salad

The flavors of roasted mushroom and broccoli combine with fresh arugula, grilled chicken and tender orzo for a nutritious and delicious salad. 

Today, we beef up a pasta salad with LOTS of veggies!

Or perhaps we add a little bit of pasta to a veggie salad?

In either case, this yummy salad is full of roasted veggies like broccoli and mushrooms, fresh arugula and red onion, savory grilled chicken and tender orzo, all tossed in super easy homemade garlicky red wine vinaigrette! 

This salad was inspired by Chrissy Teigen's Roasted Cauliflower, Feta, and Orzo Salad. A friend of ours in Chicago brought it to a holiday party and I LOVED it! So of course I thought to myself, what other things would be delicious in such a salad?

Mushrooms? Um, yeah - that was easy. Broccoli? I'm not the hugest fan of raw broccoli - but roast it and you have won me over! And now we have this delicious roasted mushroom, arugula and orzo salad.

Honestly roast just about any veggie and I'm down, they're just so flavorful and hearty. A bowl of raw veggies has serious potential to feel very diet-y to me, and the simple step of tossing them in salt, pepper & olive oil and popping them in the oven takes them to next level goodness.

This salad has a really great combination of flavors and textures. The mushrooms are meaty, I love the little char on the broccoli, the red onion adds just the right little bite, the arugula is fresh and peppery, and there is just enough orzo to make it feel a little indulgent.

And it tastes great at room temperature so it's awesome for entertaining!

Yummy noises await you!

5 from 2 votes

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Roasted Mushroom, Arugula and Orzo Salad

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

45 mins

 

Roasted mushrooms and broccoli combine with fresh arugula, grilled chicken and tender orzo for a nutritious salad full of flavor and texture. 

Course: Main Course, Salad

Servings: 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 8 oz baby bella/crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 cup orzo pasta, uncooked
• 2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces*
• 1/3 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 2.5 oz fresh arugula, (about 2 cups tightly packed)
• 1/2 cup Garlicky Red Wine Vinaigrette

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Spread the broccoli and mushrooms on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Roast for about 15 minutes, until tender and browned. 

2. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook the orzo according to package instructions. Drain well. 

3. In a big bowl, add the cooked orzo and drizzle with 1/4 cup of the garlicky red wine vinaigrette, stir well. Add the cooked mushrooms, broccoli, chicken, onion, arugula, and another 1/4 cup dressing and toss well to coat. Taste and add more dressing, salt or pepper if desired. 

Recipe Notes

*Rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken works great! 

 

You will probably only use about 1/2 cup of the Garlicky Red Wine Vinaigrette, save remaining dressing for another recipe! 

 

If you're making this in advance, I recommend holding back the arugula and tossing that in shortly before serving - otherwise it can get a little too wilted.