Turkey Meatball Orzo Salad with Veggies

Looking for a crowd pleaser that has “Wow Factor,” but doesn’t take all day to make? Put this beautiful and delicious Turkey Meatball Orzo Salad with Veggies on your menu, and you’ll be set!

This recipe was originally published December 2017. Updated February 2022.

What You’ll Need

• Simek’s Half-Ounce Turkey Meatballs
• Orzo pasta
• Butternut squash
• Red onion
• Roasted red bell peppers
• Kalamata olives
• Black eyed peas – or other beans
• Golden raisins
• Arugula
• Feta cheese
• Lemons
• Olive oil (preferably extra light)
• Salt and pepper (optional)

This post was sponsored by SIMEK’S. I received compensation and product related to this post, but all opinions and are my own.

What You’ll Love

With just a little prep – which can be done ahead of time – you can toss together this beautiful Turkey Meatball Orzo Salad in a matter of minutes. Then spend more time mixing and mingling with your guests instead of slaving away in the kitchen!

Meatballs: We all love them, but they can time-consuming to make. Thankfully, SIMEK’S has done all the work for you! Their Turkey Meatballs – which are the ones I used in this recipe – are fully cooked, nicely seasoned, and gluten free. SIMEK’S provides simple instructions for preparing their meatballs on the stove top (which is my favorite way to make them), in the oven, or microwave. Good ingredients, easy to make, and delicious. What more could you ask?!

This recipe was developed to feed a crowd for dinner parties, holidays, and gatherings of all kinds. It makes 14 cups of salad, but can be cut in half very easily if you’re preparing this for a smaller group.

There are no heavy dressings in this Turkey Meatball Orzo Salad to add calories or “dry out” unpleasantly on the buffet table. I personally recommend every ingredient included in the recipe for the full, fabulous flavors intended. But, you can certainly reduce or omit any ingredients to suit your preferences. If you want a totally gluten free dish, just use rice instead of orzo!

As a Minnesota native, I’ve enjoyed Minnesota-made SIMEK’S products many times over the years. SIMEK’S believes that meals are meant to be shared — and so do I! If you’d like to know where to find their delicious products, just visit the store locator on their website!

I hope you have a chance to try this recipe, and I hope you love it as much as we do!

Enjoy!

Print

Turkey Meatball Orzo Salad with Veggies

Looking for a crowd pleaser that has some “Wow Factor,” but doesn’t take all day to make? Put this beautiful and delicious Turkey Meatball Orzo Salad with Veggies on your menu, and you’ll be set!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 14 cups

Author Michele Phillips, BaconFatte.com

Ingredients

• 1, 1 pound bag Simek’s Half-Ounce Turkey Meatballs, halved
• 1 cup water, divided + more as needed
• 1 pound Orzo pasta, cooked
• 1, 16 ounce package pre-cut butternut squash* (about 3 cups)
• 2 cups red onion, chopped
• 1 ½ cups 16 ounce jar roasted red bell peppers, drained & chopped
• 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
• 1, 15 ounce can black eyed peas (or other beans), drained and rinsed
• ½ cup golden raisins
• 4 – 5 cups fresh arugula, lightly packed + more to taste
• 4 – 6 ounces fresh Feta cheese, crumbled + more to taste
• 2 large fresh lemons, sliced
• 4 Tbsp light olive oil, + more to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Instructions

1. Cook the meatballs on the stove top, or in the oven or microwave, according to directions on the package. I like to cook them in a skillet over medium heat which caramelizes them a bit for added color and flavor. Just add a little water to the pan, and turn them a few times. Cover to keep warm until you’re ready to add them to the salad.

2. Prepare a pasta pot with salted water, and cook the orzo according to package directions. When pasta is al dente, drain and reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, stir well, cover, and set aside. Add reserved pasta water as needed, and stir to combine.

3. In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and ½ cup water, and sauté the cubed butternut squash 10 – 12 minutes, or until tender and slightly caramelized. When squash is cooked, transfer to a bowl, cover to keep warm, and set aside.
4. Chop onions. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet and sauté the chopped red onion for a minute or two, just until it softens slightly. You want a little crunch left in the onions for best flavor in the salad.
5. Chop the roasted peppers, halve the olives, drain and rinse the black eyed peas.

6. In a large skillet, add the cooked orzo, onions, squash, peppers, olives, black eyed peas (or other beans), and golden raisins, Allow ingredients to warm, and toss well to ingredients.

7. To Serve: Spoon warm salad into a large serving bowl or platter. Toss in the arugula and feta. Serve warm or at room temperature with plenty of fresh lemon slices. Refrigerate any leftovers in a covered container for up to two days.

Recipe Notes

*To keep prep time down, pre-cut butternut squash is a great time-saver! Butternut squash brings lots of great flavor to this salad.
*If you want extra color and “pop”, reserve a few tablespoons of each of the chopped ingredients, and garnish the salad with them just before serving.
*To prepare ahead: Prepare the orzo and do all of the chopping and sautéing up to a day in advance. Combine and warm ingredients per instructions above. Garnish and serve.

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