Herb Vegetable Orzo Salad

I got this recipe from Light and Tasty magazine, and just love it! So light, fresh, and delicious, I love quick recipes like this for a meal-in-a-time-crunch. You can serve the salad as is for a side dish, or to make it a full meal, just add some chopped smoked ham.

Herb Vegetable Orzo Salad

• 8 Servings
• Prep/Total Time: 25 min.

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
• 1/2 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup pitted Greek olives, halved
• 1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
• 1/4 cup minced fresh basil or 4 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (I don't use parsley)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. Place in a large serving bowl; add the corn, red pepper, tomatoes, olives, onion, basil and parsley.
• In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper; shake well. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (3/4 cup) equals 192 calories, 7 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 157 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 5 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 fat.