When I make pasta dishes, my priority is to include more veggies than pasta. As a result, I eat a little pasta and have a full plate of veggies in one sitting. In today's world, so many kinds of pasta exist the possibilities are endless. I love veggie pasta, pasta made from vegetables. So then, I added my favorite Meditterean ingredients to make a healthy Greek pasta salad. Not only is this salad full of veggies, but a healthy Greek pasta salad is easy to make.
First, preparing this salad in advance enhances the flavors. So, I made it the day before. Because I used kale as my base greens, it helps soften the kale because it absorbs the dressing. The salad is better the next day, so make extra, because leftover Greek pasta salad is the best.
WHAT KIND OF PASTA IS BEST FOR A HEALTHY GREEK PASTA SALAD RECIPE?
Although you can use any pasta noodles for this recipe, I used Wacky Mac Spiral Veggie Spirals made of beetroot, spinach, and tomato. Another reason I chose this particular noodle was because of its vibrant noodle colors with the vegetables. However, if you decide to use gluten-free noodles, rinse them thoroughly for this healthy Greek salad recipe and dress them, so they don't dry out quickly.
Another helpful hint is to run cold water over the noodles immediately after cooking. Also, be sure to move the noodles around to ensure all the noodles are cool. Then, remove any excess water by shaking the colander.
Once the pasta is cooled, and the excess water is removed, pour the pasta into a large bowl and prepare the other ingredients.
WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE NEEDED FOR THE HEALTHY GREEK PASTA SALAD?
To create a greek pasta salad, I focused on typical ingredients in a vegan Greek salad. I also used the same hummus and lemon dressing in my Quinoa Greek Salad with OMG Oil-Free Dressing. The combination of hummus, lemon, and red wine vinegar is tangy and tart.
- Vegetable pasta,
- Chickpeas
- Kale
- English cucumber
- Red onion
- Kalamata olives
- Grape tomatoes
- Artichoke hearts
- Banana peppers
- Red bell pepper
- Capers
- Fresh dill
To cut my veggies all the same size, I always use my favorite kitchen tool, my Pro-Vegetable Chopper. As a result, I save a ton of time in the kitchen.
ADD ANOTHER LEVEL OF HEALTHY TO GREEK PASTA SALAD BY ADDING TOFU FETA CHEESE FOR EXTRA PROTEIN
Adding Tofu Feta Cheese to healthy greek pasta salad takes it to the next level of yum. So instead, I make Tofu Feta Cheese ahead of time, and it marinates in the Mediterranean flavors until it's time to serve.
My secret to the perfect Tofu Feta Cheese, for instance, is to marinate and grill it and then marinate it again. So, how do you make Tofu Feta Cheese?
All you need is a good tofu press and a few simple ingredients:
- Extra-firm tofu Pressed Tofu for Grilling, Baking, Air-frying, or Cooking in a Skillet
- Apple cider vinegar
- Yellow or white miso paste
- Sea salt
- Garlic
- Lemon
- Italian Seasoning
- Parsley
Another vital part of every healthy salad is an oil-free salad dressing. My favorite dressing I love to make is my Quinoa Greek Salad with OMG Oil-Free Dressing. It is simple, but it also tastes fabulous, mainly when the pasta noodles absorb the flavors of the dressing.
WHAT'S IN OMG OIL-FREE DRESSING USED FOR HEALTHY GREEK PASTA SALAD RECIPES?
- ½ cup hummus of choice (I used Engine Brand)
- ¼ cup lemon juice (juice of 2 lemons)
- 3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
- Add a little water to thin and adjust to your taste
As I do, if you meal prep, double the recipe, eat the Healthy Greek Pasta Salad for dinner, and pack it into containers to take for lunch during the week.
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Healthy Greek Pasta Salad
Ingredients
SALAD
- 8 pounces vegetable pasta cooked according to directions and cooled immediately. (or any pasta of choice)
- 1 large bunch kale approximately 5 cups, stem removed, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 large English cucumber diced
- 1 red onion diced (approximately 1 cup)
- ½ cup Kalamata olives sliced in half
- 1 cup grape tomatoes cup in halves
- 1 can artichoke hearts in water drained and diced
- ½ cup banana peppers
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 3 Tablespoons capers
- 4 Tablespoons fresh dill chopped
- 1 15 ounces can of chickpeas rinsed and drained
Hummus DRESSING
- ½ cup hummus of choice I used Engine oil-free original
- The juice from 4 lemons ¼ cup
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
Tofu Feta Cheese (optional)
Instructions
HEALTHY GREEK PASTA SALAD:
- Cook 8 ounces of vegetable rotini pasta or pasta of choice according to directions (mine required 9 minutes)
- Drain pasta and rinse in cold water until room temperature
- Remove stems from the kale, and chop into bite-sized pieces
- Place kale in a large salad bowl
- Add cold pasta, chickpeas, red onion, tomatoes, olives, mild peppers, artichokes, bell peppers, capers, and cucumbers.
- Add dill
Tofu Feta Cheese
- Make the tofu feta cheese in advance and add it to the salad before serving
OMG DRESSING:
- In a large measuring cup, juice lemons.
- Add red vinegar and hummus of your choice.
- Add water to thin.
- Whisk together.
- Pour dressing over salad mixture and toss several times, stirring the ingredients together to make sure everything is coated in dressing.
- Cover and place in a refrigerator until ready to eat.
- Best if the salad can rest in the dressing for at least 3 hours before serving.
- Great for leftover lunches.
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Anonymous
Anonymous
Patti
This was awesome! What a great yummy salad!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Patti, I'm so glad you liked it. I LOVE salad, so look for more recipes coming your way this spring and summer. Thanks for the feeedback. I appreciate it. Stay safe and healthy 🙂
Debbie Wilkinson
I love this salad recipe. I made it without chick peas and tofu (just didn't have the ingredients at home) and it was so delicious!! Absolutely love the dressing, too!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Debbie, I'm so glad you like the Greek pasta salad. I use that dressing on everything 🙂
carla
I want to try this recipe but all the advertisments are getting in the way and making it hard to read and scroll.
Kathy Carmichael
There is a jump to recipe button right at the top that takes you directly to the recipe without reading the post.