Orzo salad with tuna and green beans
When green beans are in season, this orzo salad with tuna and green beans is a great summer salad. It has an orange-walnut vinaigrette that really dresses up this salad and gives it a refreshing citrus bite. Toasted hazelnuts or almonds also add a nice crunch. This salad is easy to make and can stand by itself as your main dish. I hope you enjoy!
Tips for making this orzo salad with tuna and green beans
- Greener green beans: To keep my green beans greener in color, I use a little bit of baking soda (roughly ½ tsp) in the pot when boiling my green beans. The baking soda raises the pH. The chlorophyll in green beans that gives them their green color turns brown when exposed to heat or acid. Well, you can’t avoid the heat when cooking green beans, but we can make the water more alkaline with the baking soda.
- Taste your nuts: This might go without saying, but use nuts and walnut oil that are still fresh. By fresh, I mean they don’t taste like cardboard because the fat has oxidized. In my opinion this can ruin the flavor of the whole salad. I like to store my walnut oil in the refrigerator and my nuts (properly sealed) in the freezer to avoid this oxidation.
- Choose a good vinegar: The first couple times I made this recipe I used a French apricot vinegar I had gotten in a gift box. Not a common vinegar, even here. It has a subtle apricot flavor but a sharp acidity that went really well in this salad. You can also use a good quality apple cider vinegar as listed in the recipe.
Make ahead:
On the day you are going to serve the salad, you can prep the green beans, orzo, and tuna ahead of time, mixed with about half the vinaigrette dressing. Add the herbs, nuts, and the rest of the dressing just before serving.
If you have leftovers, they will keep for about two days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. Pasta salads do tend to soak up the dressing and get dry, though. If needed, you can add a splash of oil and orange juice or vinegar to spruce it back up.
Did you make my orzo salad with tuna?
If you made this recipe, I’d love to hear what you thought of it in the comments!
You might also enjoy…
If you enjoyed this orzo salad with tuna and green beans, here are a few other salads you might also enjoy:
Orzo salad with tuna and green beans
Ingredients
- 200 g (7 oz) green beans trimmed and chopped in roughly 2 cm pieces
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 150 g (¾ cup) orzo
- 65 g (½ cup) toasted hazelnuts or almonds roughly chopped
- 130 g (4.5 oz) canned tuna drained weight
- 2 tbsp chives chopped
Dressing:
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp walnut oil
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tbsp orange zest
- 1 ½ tbsp orange juice
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the green beans: Bring about 1 liter of water with a pinch of salt to boil in a medium pot. Once boiling, add the ½ tsp baking soda (to help keep the green beans green). Add the green beans and simmer for 10 minutes or until cooked but not soft. Once cooked, drain and rinse under cold water.
- Cook the orzo: Bring a second pot of water to boil for the pasta with a good pinch of salt. Cook the orzo according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain well.
- Make the dressing: Mix all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
- Combine: In a salad bowl combine the cooked green beans, orzo, along with the chopped hazelnuts, tuna and chives. Stir on dressing, and adjust salt to taste.