This Grilled Corn Orzo Salad is a light, flavor-packed pasta salad tossed in a creamy scallion dill dressing. Perfect as a summer side or plant-based main!

Why You’ll Love This Grilled Corn Pasta Salad
- Seasonal and fresh. Grilled corn, fresh scallions, and herbs give this salad the perfect summer vibe.
- Easy to prep ahead. Can be enjoyed cold or at room temperature, making it ideal for meal prep, BBQs, or picnics.
- Nutrient packed. You get fiber from the veggies and grains, plant-protein from the edamame, and antioxidants from the greens and herbs.
- Crowd friendly. It’s vegan, dairy-free, and can be made gluten-free with gluten-free pasta.


Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Orzo: Any type of short or small pasta can work here, so use what you love. You can also use a gluten-free grain like quinoa if you prefer.
- Corn: I used fresh sweet yellow corn. You can also use frozen charred corn to save time on grilling.
- Scallions: You can also use some sautéed shallots or marinated red onions depending on what you have available at home.
- Edamame: You can also use fava beans or white beans!
- Oil: I used avocado oil for high heat cooking and extra virgin olive oil for the dressing. Feel free to use other high heat neutral oil for cooking if desired.
- Lemon: Fresh is best so you can utilize the juice and zest.
- Herbs: Dill and oregano were used for the base of this salad, but feel free to use fresh basil or parsley as an alternative.
- Artichoke Hearts: I recommend jarred marinated artichoke hearts for the most flavor. Alternatively, you can use sun-dried tomatoes or capers.
- Miso Paste: This adds good savory flavors to the dressing since we aren’t using any cheese. Alternatively you can replace with a tablespoon of nutritional yeast and extra salt to taste or use 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard and adjust for salt as needed.
- Arugula: Swap for some spinach or baby kale based on preference.
- Vegan Parm: I used the shaved parmesan from Violife, but this is completely optional! For a little cheesy flavor, you can also add a tablespoon or more of nutritional yeast when tossing your salad together.
How to Make a Grilled Corn Orzo Salad
Cook the Orzo: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and generously salt it. Cook the orzo until al dente according to the package instructions. Drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl to cool slightly.




Grill the Corn: Heat a grill pan or griddle over medium heat. Add the corn directly to the surface and grill for 10–12 minutes, turning occasionally with tongs until lightly charred on all sides. Set aside to cool.
Sear the Scallions & Cook the Garlic: Trim the roots off the scallions and separate the white and dark green parts. Set the greens aside. Add the white parts to the hot grill pan and sear for 1–2 minutes per side, pressing down gently with a spatula or grill press to get even color.
At the same time, add the garlic cloves and avocado oil to one side of the pan and sauté for 2–3 minutes until fragrant and golden. Set scallions and garlic aside to cool.




Make the Dressing: To a blender, add the sautéed garlic, 4 of the seared scallions, lemon zest and juice, vinegar, olive oil, miso, and 1/2 tsp salt. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add the dill and blend again until fully incorporated. Taste and adjust salt or acidity as needed.
Assemble the Salad: Cut the corn kernels off the cob. Thinly slice the remaining cooked scallions and raw scallion greens. Add the corn, scallions, artichoke hearts, edamame, oregano, arugula, and red pepper flakes (if using) to the bowl of orzo. Pour the dressing overtop and toss well to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or lemon juice.




Serve or Store: Serve immediately or chill for later. Top with shaved vegan parmesan just before serving for extra umami.


Expert Tips
- Adjust the flavors of the dressing. Change the herbs to play around with the flavor profile, for example swap the dill for basil or cilantro. Adjust the acid and/or salt to get the level of tang and salty flavors you enjoy.
- Use enough salt. Salads taste better when they are properly layered with salt. Make sure you salt your pasta water well so that your orzo adds flavor to the salad. After mixing your salad, if you feel it’s not flavorful enough, try stirring in some more salt to help bring out the flavors of the herbs.
- Up the protein. Make this salad even more satisfying by swapping regular pasta for a protein-based pasta. You can also serve the original pasta salad with a protein-rich plant-based sausage or some marinated tofu.


Frequently Asked Questions
Swap the orzo for a gluten-free orzo or short pasta shape you enjoy. You can make this gluten-free and protein-rich by using a protein pasta instead.
Yes! Make it ahead, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The longer it sits, the more the flavors are allowed to meld together.
This can be enjoyed at room temp or chilled in the fridge. Chilling in the fridge will allow the flavors to continue to build over time.


Make It Balanced
This salad can be enjoyed as a meal or as a side. I have big plans to bring a batch of this salad to every summer party I get invited to because I feel it can go well with just about anything. If you are planning to make this for dinners, but want to bulk it up to make it more filling, here are some additional protein serving suggestions:


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Description
This Grilled Corn Orzo Salad is a light, flavor-packed pasta salad tossed in a creamy scallion dill dressing. Perfect as a summer side or plant-based main!
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and generously salt the water. Cook the orzo until al dente according to package instructions. Drain the pasta, then transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Heat a large griddle or grill pan over medium heat. When hot, place the ears of corn directly on the pan and grill for about 10-12 minutes, turning the corn with tongs occasionally until the corn gets some char on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Trim and discard the roots off the scallions, then cut the green portion of the scallions away from the white and set aside. Place the remaining white portion of the scallions onto the griddle to sear for 1-2 minutes on both sides, pressing down gently with a grill press or spatula to evenly sear. As the scallions are cooking, add the garlic cloves and avocado oil to one side of the pan and sauté until fragrant and golden, about 2-3 minutes. Set the scallions and garlic aside to cool.
- To a blender cup, add the sautéed garlic, 4 of the seared scallions, lemon zest and juice, vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, miso paste, and 1/2 tsp salt. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Add the dill, and blend again until fully incorporated. Taste and adjust salt or acidity as needed.
- Once your corn is cool to handle, cut the kernels off the cob, then thinly slice the remaining cooked and raw scallions. Add the corn, scallions, artichoke hearts, edamame, oregano, red pepper (if using), and arugula to the bowl of orzo. Pour the dressing overtop, then give everything a mix until fully coated. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or lemon juice as desired.
- Serve immediately or chill for later. Optionally, top with shaved vegan parmesan just before serving for extra umami flavor.
Notes
Adjust the flavors of the dressing. Change the herbs to play around with the flavor profile, for example swap the dill for basil or cilantro. Adjust the acid and/or salt to get the level of tang and salty flavors you enjoy.
Use enough salt. Salads taste better when they are properly layered with salt. Make sure you salt your pasta water well so that your orzo adds flavor to the salad. After mixing your salad, if you feel it’s not flavorful enough, try stirring in some more salt to help bring out the flavors of the herbs.
Up the protein. Make this salad even more satisfying by swapping regular pasta for a protein-based pasta. You can also serve the original pasta salad with a protein-rich plant-based sausage or some marinated tofu.
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