Orzo Salad with Shrimp and Lemon Dressing

By jeknudson

Ingredients

• 1 /4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest plus 3 Tbsp. fresh juice (from 1 large lemon)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 /2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup uncooked orzo
• 8 ounces fresh asparagus, trimmed and diagonally sliced into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
• 4 ounces fresh sugar snap peas, trimmed (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup fresh or frozen English peas (thawed if frozen)
• 12 ounces medium peeled, deveined raw shrimp
• 1 /4 cup coarsely chopped fresh chives
• 1 /4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 /4 cup coarsely chopped fresh tarragon

Details

Adapted from southernliving.com

Preparation

Step 1

Step 1
Whisk together oil, zest, juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

Step 2
Prepare orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Transfer orzo to a bowl, and cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.

Step 3
While orzo cooks, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high. Add asparagus and sugar snap peas to boiling water. Cook until bright green and tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Add English peas, and stir until softened, about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to an ice bath, reserving boiling water in saucepan.

Step 4
Add shrimp to boiling water. Cook until opaque, about 3 minutes, and then drain. Transfer shrimp to ice bath with vegetables. Let stand until chilled, about 3 minutes; drain.

Step 5
Toss together shrimp-vegetable mixture with orzo; drizzle with dressing. Add chives, parsley, and tarragon, and toss to combine. Serve at room temperature or chilled.