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Cold Mussel and Orzo Salad with Mustard-Dill Dressing
Cold orzo salad with tender mussels, juicy cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and red onion in a mustard-dill dressing. The orzo takes on the dressing's flavors as the salad chills, with fresh dill and a gentle mustard note complementing the mussels.
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Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 3 lb fresh shell-on mussels weighed before cleaning
- 3 Tbsp water or just enough to cover the bottom of your pot
- 1 cup dry orzo
- salt for the orzo cooking water I use 1 Tbsp per liter of water
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/3 cup Kalamata olives pitted and halved
- 1/4 cup red onion thinly sliced into half-moons
For the Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 small garlic clove finely grated
- 1 tsp lemon zest finely grated
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar 6% acidity
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh dill finely chopped
Instructions
- Mix the Dijon mustard, grated garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper into a paste. Add the olive oil and mix well, then stir in the dill.
- Cook the orzo in well-salted water according to the package directions, checking a little before the stated time. Taste a few pieces and drain when al dente.
- Drain thoroughly without rinsing and immediately transfer to a large, wide bowl. Toss the warm orzo with half the dressing and spread it out to help it cool.
- Clean and debeard the mussels. Discard any with broken or cracked shells and any open mussels that do not close when gently tapped.
- Place the mussels in a large pot and add just enough water to cover the bottom. I use 3 Tbsp in my pot.
- Cover and cook over medium-high heat for about 5-7 minutes, watching for the shells to open. Remove from the heat when the batch is ready. Discard any mussels that remain closed.
- Transfer the cooked mussels to a tray to cool.
- While the mussels cool, thinly slice the red onion and halve the cherry tomatoes and pitted olives.
- Remove the cooled mussel meat from the shells and set aside.
- Gently stir the orzo to separate any pieces that have stuck together. Add the mussel meat, tomatoes, olives, and red onion.
- Pour over the remaining dressing and gently toss to combine. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Refrigerate the assembled salad for 1 hour to chill and allow the flavors to develop.
- Give the salad one more gentle stir before serving cold.
Notes
Salt the cooking water: The orzo needs well-salted cooking water so it doesn't taste bland in the finished salad. I use 1 Tbsp salt per liter of water. Taste the assembled salad before adding extra salt, since the mussels, olives, and dressing also contribute saltiness.
Orzo timing: My orzo was al dente after 10-11 minutes, although the package suggested 13-14 minutes. Use your package as a guide and taste a few pieces before draining.
Use a wide bowl: A large, wide bowl lets you spread out the orzo to help it cool more quickly. Prepare it before the mussels so it can cool while you work on the remaining ingredients. It may stick together slightly as it cools; a gentle stir separates it again.
Mussel yield: My measured batch of 3 lb shell-on mussels yielded about 9.5 oz (270 g) of cooked meat. The yield varies between batches, so this is an approximate guide rather than an exact conversion.
Temperature at assembly: The mussel meat should have cooled before you assemble the salad. The orzo may still be slightly warm.
Chilling: Allow a full hour in the refrigerator before serving. In my tests, 30 minutes wasn't enough to chill the salad and develop the flavor I wanted.
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I do my best to provide you with the nutritional information for recipes but I'm not a certified nutritionist. The nutritional information provided should only be treated as an estimate since it will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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