Corn and Zucchini Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese

I was looking around for a recipe for a quick and easy weeknight dinner idea. I am loving all the summer produce available right now and wanted to incorporate that in to my meal. I wanted to keep it simple and luckily stumbled upon this recipe. The orzo salad makes an amazing side dish. I grilled some shrimp and added it on top to make a main course out of it. Just toss the shrimp (about 1/2 pound) with the zest of one lime, juice of half a lime, 1 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper and grill until cooked through. If you own one, a grill basket will make this step even easier.

Adapted from Food & Wine

3 ears of corn, shucked
1 pound zucchini or summer squash, cut in half lenghtwise
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to season
1/2 pound orzo
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1 1/2 cups chopped cilantro
2 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Heat your grill. In a bowl toss the zucchini and corn with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill over medium heat until crisp and tender (about 10 minutes for zucchini, 15 minutes for the corn). Let cool. Once you can handle the corn, cut the corn off the cob. and slice the zucchini in to half moons. Set aside.

In the meantime, cook the orzo until al dente. Once done, rinse under cold water and spread out the orzo on a plate or baking sheet to cool off. Pat dry if there is still water on the orzo.

In your serving bowl, Whisk the mayonnaise, lime juice and 3 tablespoons on olive oil. Mix in the shallot, chile powder and 1/2 cup of the cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Add the orzo, corn, zucchini, and remaining cilantro. Mix until evenly coated in the dressing. Sprinkle with goat cheese. If using shrimp, add cooked shrimp on top of the orzo and enjoy. Pin It Now!