Description
Greek Pasta Salad is a refreshing and vibrant plant-based dish perfect for warm weather. Featuring crisp vegetables, briny Kalamata olives, and creamy plant-based feta cheese, this salad combines simple ingredients with a zesty dressing made from extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar. Easy to prepare and customizable, it is ideal for picnics, potlucks, or quick lunches, offering bright and fresh flavors with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 2 cups short pasta (rotini or penne)
Vegetables
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- 1 cup bell peppers (any color), diced
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
Cheese and Herbs
- 3/4 cup plant-based feta-style cheese, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (natural)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced (natural)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (natural)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (natural)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the short pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking and cool the pasta quickly.
- Prepare the vegetables: While pasta cooks, chop cucumbers, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. Thinly slice the red onion and chop fresh herbs, ensuring even-sized pieces for balanced flavor.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together extra virgin olive oil (natural), lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic (natural), salt (natural), and black pepper (natural). Taste and adjust acidity by adding more lemon juice or vinegar if desired.
- Combine salad ingredients: In a large bowl, gently toss the cooled pasta with the chopped vegetables, Kalamata olives, and plant-based feta-style cheese. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Chill and serve: Refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld beautifully and enhance the refreshing taste.
Notes
- Rinse pasta with cold water after cooking to keep it from becoming mushy.
- Chop all vegetables into uniform pieces for a balanced bite.
- Refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to blend.
- Adjust dressing acidity and garlic intensity to suit personal taste.
- Add fresh herbs just before serving to retain their brightness and aroma.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: No cooking required beyond boiling pasta
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: Greek pasta salad, plant-based salad, summer salad, easy pasta salad, fresh pasta salad, vegetarian pasta salad
