- 1 small octopus, at room temperature
- water to cover
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 cups whole wheat orzo pasta
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon cooking oil, or as needed
- 1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped baby bella mushrooms
- 7 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup torn fresh spinach
- 1 lemon, juiced, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese, or to taste
- Place octopus in a pot and add enough water to cover; add red wine vinegar. Bring liquid to a boil, cover pot, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until a toothpick goes through the thickest part of the octopus smoothly, about 30 minutes. Remove octopus from pot and chop into bite-size pieces. Discard water-vinegar mixture.
- Combine orzo and chicken broth in a small pot over medium heat; allow orzo to absorb the chicken broth, adding more water, about 1 tablespoon at a time, if orzo gets too dry. Cook until orzo is tender yet firm to the bite, 5 to 8 minutes; drain.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; saute yellow bell pepper, mushrooms, and olives until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Season bell pepper mixture with black pepper.
- Mix orzo, spinach, and octopus into bell pepper mixture until spinach begins to wilt from the heat of the orzo. Add lemon juice to orzo mixture; top with feta cheese.