A simple greek pasta salad in the winter? Why on earth would you want to share this now? Well, since we are heading into the holiday season, I want to share with you a recipe that is easy to throw together in just a few minutes and feels fresh and healthy at the same time. It doesn’t hurt that this greek pasta salad has some of my favorite flavors in it.
This is one of those dishes to keep in the fridge when there are guests in town. Someone is always hungry (and probably picky), and a fresh take on pasta salad will make just about everyone happy. It’s a great snack and you can make it vegan (just skip the feta), gluten free (change out or leave out the pasta), and everyone special diets are accommodated easily!
And it’s really so simple to make. Just boil the pasta, open a can of chickpeas, cut up some veggies and voila, ingredients ready to assemble. The homemade dressing is just as simple. Put all of the ingredients into a mason jar and shake, shake, shake…awesome greek dressing in under 2 minutes.
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What else can I add to this simple greek pasta salad?
Because I’m all about teaching you simple method for cooking, I want you to add whatever you would like to this pasta salad. Do you like things with a little extra pucker? Add more lemon juice. Want make the vegetables the star? Double up on the veggies you add in. You can also add in marinated artichokes (I talk all about them here), cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, hearts of palm and on and on.
How can I take this from a side dish to a main meal?
Sometimes you really like the flavor combination of something but don’t want to make a ton of dishes. So what do you do? To elevate your simple greek pasta salad from a side dish to a main dish, try these few quick ideas:
- Shred a pre-made rotisserie chicken and add it right to the salad (for those who keep kosher, just leave out the feta).
- Open a can of tuna (like this one), drain, and toss in with the rest of your ingredients.
- Broil a piece of salmon and flake it into the salad.
- Season some tofu with Cavendar’s seasoning or some of this seasoning from RawSpiceBar and sear in a grill pan.
If you are going to add in any of the suggested proteins, I would make sure to double the dressing recipe. You’ll want to make sure that the whole salad is seasoned really well!
Tips and Tricks:
- This greek pasta salad recipe can be totally customized. If you don’t like one of the vegetables I suggest, leave it out. Want to add something else in that you love? Go for it.
- While you can make this and eat it right away, making it a day or even two days in advance works great. The flavors come together really nicely over time. Just be sure to give it a stir a few times along the way
- Do you need this to be gluten free? You can easily swap the pasta out OR make it a “village” salad with no pasta. I would double (or even triple) the amount of veggies, and be sure to add the optional items. The dressing will taste great with everything mixed together.
Looking for other mediterrean inspired recipes? Check these out!
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a simple greek pasta salad that is great all year long. perfect for the holidays or for a light lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
for dressing
- 2 tsp grated garlic (i used the frozen garlic cubes)
- 1/3 cup fresh herbs, lightly packed (i like parsley and oregano, but you can use rosemary, basil, etc)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- salt and pepper, to taste
for salad
- 16 oz pasta (one box, i like bowties)
- 15 oz can garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas)
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/3 red onion, chopped
- 3/4 cup beets, sliced or chopped
- 1/2 cup cucumbers, chopped (optional)
- 1/4 cup olives, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- boil pasta according to directions
- while pasta cooks, make your simple dressing by adding all salad dressing ingredients into a weck or mason jar and shake, shake, shake
- when pasta is done, drain and rinse under cold water
- once pasta has drained, pour the pasta into a large mixing bowl
- add the veggies and feta to the mixing bowl and pour over the dressing
- now all you have to do is mix well
- you can serve immediately, or cover the bowl and keep in fridge for up to 5 days, stirring one or twice a day to help the flavors develop
Notes
if you don’t want to use fresh herbs, you can easily use the frozen herbs and just shake up the cubes with the dressing. the herbs you choose will dictate the underlying flavors of the pasta salad so use what you like!
Want to make these now? Are you missing some ingredients? Amazon Now can get them to you in a few hours, Instacart can get them to you today. Or add them to your Peapod grocery list and don’t be stuck without them again!
Greek salad is my favourite! I’m going to have to try this one. Thanks for the great recipe
me too! hope you enjoy it! it’s going on our thanksgiving table if that’s any indication of my love for it 🙂