Description
Traditional Greek Pasta Salad is a vibrant, flavorful, and easy-to-make dish packed with fresh vegetables, briny olives, and creamy plant-based feta (plant-based). This Mediterranean-inspired salad is perfect for quick lunches, picnics, or dinner parties, offering a fresh and balanced meal with a lively taste and texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 2 cups short pasta (rotini or penne)
Vegetables and Herbs
- 1 cup cucumber, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
- 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Cheese
- 1/2 cup plant-based feta (plant-based), crumbled
Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (natural)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (natural)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (natural)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (natural)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (natural)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Drain and rinse the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down for the salad.
- Prep the Vegetables: While the pasta cooks, chop the cucumber, halve the cherry tomatoes, thinly slice the red onion, and roughly chop the fresh parsley. Keep the pieces bite-sized for easy eating.
- Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil (natural), lemon juice (natural), apple cider vinegar (natural), garlic powder (natural), dried oregano (natural), salt, and pepper until thoroughly combined and vibrant.
- Combine Everything: In a large mixing bowl, toss together the cooled pasta, chopped vegetables, kalamata olives, and plant-based feta (plant-based). Pour the dressing over the salad and gently mix to coat everything evenly.
- Chill and Serve: Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Give it a final stir before serving and garnish with extra fresh parsley or kalamata olives if desired.
Notes
- Cook pasta al dente to avoid a mushy salad texture.
- Rinse pasta under cold water to cool and remove excess starch.
- Pat vegetables dry if very juicy to prevent a watery salad.
- Chilling the salad enhances the flavor melding.
- Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil (natural) for best dressing taste.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: No cooking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: Greek pasta salad, Mediterranean salad, plant-based feta, vegan pasta salad, quick lunch, healthy salad
