This orzo salad with crab, artichokes, and sundried tomatoes is a great meal to make for entertaining. It’s simple, you can make it ahead, and serve cold or warm! This recipe serves four.
What you’ll need
- 1 jar (6 oz) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and blotted
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic or dash of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 large basil leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 pound orzo
- 3/4 pound jumbo lump crabmeat (I used canned)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
- 10 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced into thin strips
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
I took a chance and used Bumble Bee canned crabmeat. Obviously fresh crab would be better, but this worked just fine for me! It didn’t have that “tinny” taste to it. I also omitted the cherry tomatoes, parsely, and dijon mustard, as I am not a huge fan of tomatoes and didn’t have parsley or dijon on hand.
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Coarsely chop all but 4 artichoke hearts; set aside chopped hearts.
- Place whole hearts in a blender. Add vinegar, shallot, garlic, mustard, basil, and oregano; season with salt and pepper. Turn on blender and slowly add oil until dressing emulsifies; set aside.
- Boil orzo until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water. Drain again; transfer to a bowl.
- Add crabmeat, cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, chives, parsley, reserved chopped artichokes and dressing; toss.
449 calories per serving, 16.6 g fat (only 2 g saturated, it’s good fat!), 52.5 g carbs, 5.3 g fiber, 24.6 g protein
