This greek pasta salad is gluten free, vegan, and incredibly easy to prepare! All you have to do is boil some pasta, slice a few vegetables, and combine a few common household ingredients to make a greek salad dressing.
The best thing about this recipe for greek pasta salad is that it tastes even better leftover! It is so easy to make this recipe ahead of time then put it in the refrigerator and forget about it until you need it again. That makes this recipe a great option for meal peppers or for anyone who is looking for a cold dish to bring to a potluck.
What is greek pasta salad?
What is greek pasta salad? Greek pasta salad is a pasta salad that is loaded with veggies and fresh herbs. Greek pasta salad is topped with a greek dressing and sometimes sprinkled with feta cheese. Greek pasta salad is typically topped with a vinaigrette style dressing rather than a creamy greek dressing.
Greek pasta salad is typically served cold rather than warm. This means that it is easy to make greek pasta ahead of time and serve it at a later date. This makes it an ideal candidate for a dish to bring to a potluck or party. This also makes greek pasta salad a great option for meal peppers.
What veggies are in greek pasta salad?
What veggies are in greed pasta salad? Here are some of the most common veggies and legumes that are found in greek pasta salads.
- Red onions
- Olives
- Cucumber
- Tomatoes
- Artichoke hearts
- Roasted red peppers
- Chickpeas
Our recipe for greek pasta salad does not contain all of these veggies but you should feel free to additional veggies from this list if you want. They will all taste great!
What is in greek dressing?
What is in greek dressing? Greek salad dressing is easy to make and consists of common household ingredients like red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano. The oregano is the key ingredient that makes greek dressing stand out from other salad dressings.
The greek dressing we use in this recipe consists of red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, dijon mustard, and white sugar. This is a simple but tasty greek dressing with minimal ingredients. If you wanted to add additional flavor to your pasta salad you could also add some chopped garlic or lemon juice to your greek dressing.
How to make greek pasta salad vegan
How do you make a greek pasta salad that is vegan friendly? It is very easy to make a greek pasta salad vegan friendly. For most recipes you will just need to remove the cheese from the recipe. It is very common for feta cheese to be included in greek pasta salad recipes. We do not include any cheese in our greek pasta salad to ensure the base recipe is vegan friendly. We do list feta cheese as an optional add on.
There are a few other animal products that might be added to greek pasta salad. For example, hard boiled eggs or cured meats might be added for extra protein. You can typically remove these ingredients without replacing them.
How to make greek pasta salad gluten free
How do you make greek pasta salad gluten free? It is easy to make greek pasta salad gluten free. All you have to do is use gluten free pasta rather than regular pasta when you make this recipe.
Let me tell you a little secret. Greek pasta salad tastes even better when you make it with a chickpea pasta such as Banza brand pasta. Even if you do not have a gluten intolerance I would recommend making this greek pasta salad with a chickpea based pasta. The flavor of chickpea pasta goes great with all of the Mediterranean vegetables in this pasta salad.
Do you let pasta cool before making pasta salad?
Should you let pasta cool before making pasta salad? You do not have to let pasta cool before making pasta salad. Even if the pasta salad is intended to be eaten cold you can start adding the dressing and other ingredients to the pasta salad as the pasta cools down. I actually recommend adding the dressing to the pasta when it is still cooling down because the dressing will help cool down the pasta faster.
If you do want to wait until the pasta has cooled to assemble your pasta salad that is up to you. If you are going to do this I would recommend running your pasta under cool water after you take it out of the boiling pasta water. Running the freshly cooked pasta under a stream of cold water will cool it down in a matter of seconds.
Greek pasta salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz gluten free rotini (we recommend chickpea pasta such as Banza brand pasta)
- 1/4 cup black olives
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1/2 red onion
- 1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional if not vegan or dairy free)
Greek vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Boil a medium sized pot of water then cook your pasta according to the cooking instructions on the box. Most dried gluten free pasta will need to cook for 7 - 10 minutes. While the pasta is boiling you can start preparing other ingredients for the pasta salad.
- Combine all of the ingredients for the greek vinaigrette dressing then set the dressing to the side.
- Chop the tomato, bell pepper, cucumber, onion, and parsley into small pieces.
- When the pasta is done cooking combine all of the salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl then pour the salad dressing over the top of the pasta salad.
Additions for this greek pasta salad recipe
- Fresh mint. If you do not have any fresh parsley, or if you just want to add some extra fresh herbs to your pasta salad, you can add some fresh mint. Fresh mint is commonly used in greek salads and greek pasta salads. I recommend using about half the amount of parsley you use.
- Artichoke hearts. If you want to add some extra veggies to your pasta salad then canned artichoke hearts are a great option.
- Roasted red peppers. Roasted red peppers are another great option if you are looking to add extra veggies to your pasta salad.
- Feta cheese. If you do not avoid dairy then you should add some feta cheese to your greek pasta salad. Feta cheese adds a nice creamy and salty element to the pasta salad.
Other recipes you might like
If you are looking for another tasty salad option you should check out our recipe for mixed berry salad with lemon poppyseed dressing. This salad is also made with a vegan base that has optional cheese add ons for people who do not stick to a vegan or dairy free diet.
