I held off on posting this recipe for a little while because it’s been kind of evolving from the first time I made it. This summer heat has been really draining, so when I started making it, I was looking for something light and refreshing but still satisfying for a midday meal. Yesterday I made it again and I think it came out pretty well.

Salad ingredients:

1/2 romaine lettuce heart, chopped
1/4 cup broccoli
2 stalks of asparagus
1/4 cup dry orzo
a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
5 slices of cucumber, cut into quarters
1/4 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons feta cheese
a sprinkle of red pepper flakes (optional)

Dressing ingredients:

juice of 1/2 lemon
3/4 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp mustard

1. Chop up and steam the broccoli and asparagus.

2. Cook the orzo according to the directions on the package. After it’s done, run cold water over it to cool it off.

3. Mix together the orzo, broccoli, asparagus, tomatoes and cucumbers.

4. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour the dressing over the orzo mixture.

5. If you have time, it’s nice to chill the orzo/dressing/vegetable mixture for a couple of hours. I was hungry yesterday, so I skipped that step and just ate it as-is.

6. Spread the chopped lettuce on a plate, then put the rest of the ingredients on top.

7. Sprinkle feta cheese and red pepper flakes (optional) on top.

Serves one.