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Crunchy, Tasty, and Nutritious, That is how I define this yummilicious Greek Pasta Salad. In summer, most of the time I am in no mood to cook and melt myself in front of the stove. So I just boil the pasta, chop whatever I find in my veggie section, and toss em all up in a quick potluck salad. And then I thought, why not make it a recipe for a quick meal? So here you are. Feel free to add anything of your choice to this salad to make it even more exciting for a summer potluck.
Most of the time, it’s just the usual onion, tomato, and cucumber combo, but occasionally, I add corn, cubed cooked chicken, beetroot, apple chunks, etc to the salad too. The main kick is the Greek Salad Dressing. Just get it rightly done and it will blend in all the exciting veggie flavors with pasta. However, if you don’t want to add pasta, here is my dedicated Greek avocado salad recipe with feta.
Why will you like this Salad?
- Special vegetarian salad
- Highly nutritious, low-calorie meal for weight loss
- Easy make-ahead menu item
- Use Gluten free pasta to make it a Gluten-free potluck meal.
- Ideal potluck side dish with afternoon lunch, for potluck dinners, Summer BBQ parties, etc.
- You can add any vegetables or additional ingredients as per your liking as this is one of the best vegetarian potluck ideas.
Ingredients For Greek Pasta Salad
For Salad
- 450 g Cooked pasta of your choice
- ½ cup chopped red onion
- 15 Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 Bell Pepper
- 2 medium-sized cucumbers
- 150 g Feta Cheese or cottage cheese cubes
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- ⅔ cup black or green olives
For Dressing
- ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive oil
- ¼ cup Red wine Vinegar/ Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp dried oregano/ mixed herbs
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Ingredient Notes For Making Greek Pasta Salad
- Pasta- for this recipe, you can use any pasta of your choice. I usually like Farfelle, but you can use Alfredo or Penne as well. Cook it according to package instructions. Allow it to cool before adding it to the salad so that the heat may not wilt the fresh vegetables.
- Vegetables- The salad is highly customizable. In my recipe, I have added cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes, but you can add peas, red or white kidney beans, chickpeas, corn, olives, mushrooms, baby spinach, etc as well.
- Cheese- Usually, I prefer Feta or cottage cheese for a more milky taste and high protein content. You can also replace it with dairy-free cheese or tofu to make the salad vegan-friendly.
- Oil (for salad dressing)- Extra Virgin olive oil always lends the best taste to salads. It is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids. You can also use canola or vegetable oil for the dressing.
- Vinegar- Vinegar lends a tangy taste to the vegetables and keeps them fresh for a long. You can use red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
- Spices- Since I like to keep it on the non-spicy side, I do not add cayenne pepper or paprika powder. You can enhance the flavor by using dried herbs, salt, and crushed black pepper.
Tips to make the Best Greek Pasta Salad
- Use the bite-sized pasta type that goes well with chopped vegetables. It will also absorb and blend in with all the flavors of vegetables and dressing. Farfalle is perhaps the best one for this recipe, but you can use other types too.
- Cook the pasta al dente. The pasta will have to rest in the salad dressing so it may get soggy if it is well cooked. Also, take care not to undercook it as it may get hard when cooled down.
- Cool the pasta before adding it to the vegetables because the heat might cause them to wilt.
- Soak the onions before adding them to the salad. The raw, red onions have an overpowering flavor. Soaking them in cold, salted water for 10 minutes will keep their color fresh and bright while slightly taming down the flavor.
How to make Greek Pasta Salad?
Step one: Boil the pasta
In a saucepan, pour water and place on medium-high heat.
Pour 2 tbsp salt, one teaspoon vinegar, and 1 tsp cooking oil.
When the water starts boiling, add the pasta of your choice. Reduce heat to medium flame.
Cook pasta till al dente. Drain water from the pasta. Add 1 tsp of oil to cooked pasta so that it does not stick together. Allow it to cool.
Step two: Prepare the vegetables
Chop onion, tomato, bell pepper, and cucumbers into bite-sized pieces. If you are using cherry tomatoes, do not chop them.
Wash and chop fresh parsley.
Cut cheese into bite-sized cubes.
Take a large mixing bowl, and add all the chopped vegetables, parsley, and pasta into it. Mix well.
Step three: Prepare the salad dressing
In a mixing jar, pour extra virgin olive oil, the vinegar of your choice, and lemon juice. Mix the liquid ingredients.
Add crushed garlic clove, kosher salt, black pepper, and oregano. Shake vigorously to mix all the ingredients well.
Step four: Assembling
Pour the salad dressing over the mixed salad. Toss all the ingredients with the help of a wooden spoon to coat everything in the vinaigrette. Serve fresh.
How to store Greek Pasta Salad?
In case you have any leftovers, try placing the salad in an airtight container and putting them in a refrigerator. The salad will last for 3 to 5 days, although the vegetables may get soggy and will not have the same texture.
How to freeze Greek Pasta Salad?
You can freeze the Greek pasta salad, but without pouring over the salad dressing. Assemble all the remaining ingredients and make separate portions. Either put them in small containers or place them in zip-loc bags. The salad can last for up to 3 months.
To defrost the Greek pasta salad, take out your desired portions and allow it to defrost in the refrigerator for some hours. Pour over the salad dressing before serving.
Five mistakes to avoid while making this salad
The Greek Pasta Salad is easy to make, but try to avoid these mistakes when making it.
- Not selecting the right size of pasta
- Overcooking or undercooking the pasta
- Using less salt while boiling the pasta
- Drizzling the salad dressing far ahead of time
- Not allowing the pasta to cool down before adding vegetables.
Alternative Ingredients
Type of pasta- If you do not have Farfelle pasta, you can use any other that is small in size. Alfredo, macaroni, stelline, penne or cavatelli as well. You can also replace the pasta with quinoa or orzo.
Vegetables- Aside from the usual combination of vegetables, you can add a variety of ingredients. For a bit of crunch, add apples, green peas, kidney beans, baby spinach, corn, etc.
Meat- If you want to add to the protein content of this salad, you can add smoked chicken chunks, sausages, minced meat, or tuna to the salad. Skip all kinds of meat if you want a vegan-friendly salad.
Cheese- This salad goes best with cottage cheese cubes or Feta cheese. A vegan-friendly option is a tofu or dairy-free cheese.
Similar Tasty Recipes
Other than Greek Pasta Salad, you can try these interesting salad recipes as well.
- Mexican Corn Salad
- Fusilli pasta salad with dressing
- Shirazi Salad
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Burmese Tea Leaf Salad
- Quinoa Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
- Easy Coleslaw
- Macaroni Salad
- Quinoa Salad
- Lemon Herb Mediterranean Chicken Salad
- Best Broccoli Salad
- Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad
Frequently Asked Questions
Greek Pasta Salad is made up of lots of vegetables, which are rich in micronutrients and antioxidants. Therefore, it is a low-calorie but nutrient-dense meal. It furnishes you with Vitamin A, Vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, and iron. The antioxidants keep the heart healthy and fight cancer-causing agents.
If you want to prepare this salad ahead of time, is suggested to prepare the pasta and vegetables. Prepare the dressing also, but only pour it over the salad just before serving. It will keep the vegetables fresh and will prevent them from getting extra soggy.
Best Greek Pasta Salad – Authentic Recipe
Ingredients
Salad
- 450 g Cooked pasta of your choice
- ½ cup chopped red onion
- 15 Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 Bell Pepper
- 2 medium-sized cucumbers
- 150 g Feta Cheese or cottagecheese cubes
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- ⅔ cup black or green olives
For Salad Dressing
- ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive oil
- ¼ cup Red wine Vinegar/ Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp dried oregano/ mixed herbs
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Mix olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Mix well.
- Add salt, pepper, oregano, and crushed garlic. Mix well so that the flavors blend in.
- In another mixing bowl, add cooked and cool pasta. Chop all the vegetables into small cubes and add to the bowl.
- Add the cheese cubes and pour over the salad dressing. Toss it with the help of a wooden spoon so that the dressing coats all the vegetables. Serve Fresh.
