This delicious healthy Greek pasta salad is loaded with vegetables in a tangy, hummus-based Greek dressing. Add tofu feta cheese to this Greek pasta salad recipe for a fabulous lunch, dinner, or side dish.
When I make pasta dishes, my priority is to include more veggies than pasta. As a result, I eat a little pasta with a full plate of veggies in one sitting. In today’s world, so many kinds of pasta exist; the possibilities are endless. I love vegetable based pastas made from vegetables and whole grain flour. Then, I add my favorite Mediterranean ingredients to make a healthy Greek pasta salad. Not only is this salad full of veggies, but a Greek pasta salad recipe is easy to make.
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First, preparing this salad in advance enhances the flavors. So, I made it the day before. Because I used kale as my base greens, dressing the salad in advance softens 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.
Choosing the Pasta
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.
Greek Pasta Salad Ingredients
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: Vegetable pasta is made from vegetables and whole-grain flour.
- Chickpeas: Chickpeas are a wonderful additional to this healthy Greek pasta salad. The are full of protein and crunch.
- Kale: I love kale chopped finley. It is a superfood and loaded with nutrients. Unlike other greens, kale stays crunchy even when dressed.
- English Cucumber: English cucumbers have fewer seeds than regular cucumbers, and they stay firm and less watery.
- Red Onion: Red onion is sharp, sweet, and fabulous with this combination of salad ingredients.
- Kalamata Olives: Kalamata olives are tangy in this salad, and offer a salty, umami addition,
- Grape Tomatoes: Grape tomatoes have fewer seeds than other tomatoes, so the salad doesn’t get watered down.
- Artichoke Hearts: I buy artichokes packed in water, not oil. I chop them into bite-sized pieces.
- Banana Peppers: Banana peppers are mild peppers that taste sweet instead of hot.
- Red Bell Pepper: Red bell peppers are sweet and crunchy in the pasta salad.
- Capers: Capers are little salty balls of wonderful. I love capers!
- Fresh Dill: Fresh dill adds a fresh herb element to the finished pasta salad.
Greek Pasta Salad Ingredient Substitutions
- Use gluten-free pasta or any type of pasta, in any shape.
- White beans are often used as a substitute in Mediterranean recipes.
- Choose spinach or another green of choice if you don’t have or care for kale.
- If using regular cucumbers, I suggest cutting them in half lengthwise and removing the seeds before chopping them.
- Try green onions are yellow onions instead of red onions.
- Black olives are often used to replace kalamata olives.
- Roma tomatoes or cherry tomatoes work well as a substitute for grape tomatoes.
- Hearts of palm are an excellent substitute for artichokes in recipes.
- Skip the banana peppers if you don’t enjoy them.
- Green peppers are also a fabulous substitute for red bell peppers. Or, for adding various colors, add different colored baby bell peppers.
- Parsley tastes excellent as a dill substitute.
I always use my favorite kitchen tool, my vegetable chopper, to cut my veggies all the same size. As a result, I save a ton of time in the kitchen.
Tofu Feta Cheese Ingredients
Adding tofu feta cheese to a 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 vegan feta cheese is to marinate and grill it and then marinate it again.
All you need is a good tofu press and a few simple ingredients:
- Extra-Firm Tofu: If you are new to preparing tofu, I suggest using extra firm tofu. The link included explains how to prepare tofu. Pressed Tofu for Grilling, Baking, Air-frying, or Cooking in a Skillet
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar provides acidity and gives the recipe a tangy flavor.
- White Miso Paste: White miso pasta has an umami flavor to the marinade.
- Sea Salt: A little sea salt enhances the flavors in the marinade.
- Garlic: I prefer fresh garlic cloves.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon juice is best.
- Italian Seasoning: The blend of herbs present in Italian seasoning usually consists of basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram, with other herbs and spices sometimes making an appearance
- Parsley: Fresh parsley has to best flavor.
Tofu Feta Cheese Substitutions
- Try chickpea tofu, a new soy-free option, at the grocery store.
- There are several vegan feta kinds of cheese, such as Violife or Follow Your Heart brands.
- Substitute white vinegar for apple cider vinegar.
- Yellow miso paste is a great substitute for white miso paste in recipes.
- Substitute garlic powder for fresh garlic. One clove of garlic equals about ⅛th of a teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh lemon juice when in a punch.
- Make your own blend of Italian seasoning.
Dressing Ingredients
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 dressing. It is simple, but it also tastes fabulous, mainly when the pasta noodles absorb the flavors of the dressing.
- Hummus of Choice: I used Engine Brand hummus, traditional flavor.
- Lemon Juice: Again, I prefer fresh lemon juice whenever possible.
- Red Wine Vinegar: Red wine vinegar is the acidity that makes the dressing tangy and delicious.
- Water: The water thins the dressing and acts as an emulsifier.
Dressing Ingredient Substitutions
- Choose a vegan Greek dressing bottled in the grocery store.
- Use bottled lemon juice if necessary.
- If you don’t have hummus, blend ½ chickpeas and increase the water by ½ cup.
Recipe FAQs
A traditional Greek salad dressing is Greek vinaigrette. It has red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard.
Yes. It’s a nutrient-dense, low-calorie recipe that you can include in your daily diet. In addition, it provides a healthy dosage of potassium, iron, vitamin C, and vitamin A.
Greek salad is low-calorie and nutrient-dense, providing you with a healthy dose of vitamins A and C, potassium, and iron. It also contains phytonutrients and antioxidants, which reduce the risk of health problems such as heart disease and cancer.
Tips
- Marinating the tofu overnight helps it to absorb the flavors. Then, cooking it and putting it back into the marinade enhances the flavors.
- Extra firm tofu is suggested, so the tofu is harder in texture similar to feta cheese.
- Any sized pasta or type of pasta works with this recipe.
- I suggest using a vegetable chopper to expedite chopping, and it also makes the vegetable uniform in size for easier eating.
- When lemons are in season, juice them and freeze them in Souper Cubes to have fresh lemon juice all year round. Each cube holds 2 Tablespoons of fluid.
- Try using different flavors of hummus for a unique flavor.
- For a shortcut, rinse the pasta in cold water after cooking to make the Greek pasta salad quickly.
- Dressing pasta salad in advance helps the flavors to develop, and the pasta absorbs the dressing.
- For a warm pasta salad, roast the vegetables and toss in the dressing while the pasta is warm.
If you meal prep, double the recipe, eat this Greek pasta salad for dinner, and pack it into containers for lunch during the week.
Enjoy These Healthy Salad Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Healthy Greek Pasta Salad
Healthy Greek Pasta Salad contains Mediterranean flavors and vegetables in tangy, oil-free hummus. Add tofu feta cheese for an added level of fabulous!
Ingredients
Tofu Feta Cheese (optional)
Instructions
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 them 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
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.
Notes
- Marinating the tofu overnight helps it to absorb the flavors. Then, cooking it and putting it back into the marinade enhances the flavors.
- Extra firm tofu is suggested, so the tofu is harder in texture, similar to feta cheese.
- Any sized pasta or type of pasta works with this recipe.
- I suggest using a vegetable chopper to expedite chopping, and it also makes the vegetable uniform in size for easier eating.
- When lemons are in season, juice them and freeze them in Souper Cubes to have fresh lemon juice all year round. Each cube holds 2 Tablespoons of fluid.
- Try using different flavors of hummus for a unique flavor.
- For a shortcut, rinse the pasta in cold water after cooking to make the Greek pasta salad quickly.
- Dressing pasta salad in advance helps the flavors to develop, and the pasta absorbs the dressing.
- For a warm pasta salad, roast the vegetables and toss in the dressing while the pasta is warm.
- Choose gluten-free pasta for a gluten-free option.
Nutrition
Serving: 6gCalories: 390kcalCarbohydrates: 81gProtein: 28gFat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 605mgFiber: 13gSugar: 16g
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! 🙂
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