This vegan recipe for Greek Pasta Salad is quick and easy to prepare. Featuring vibrant ingredients such as kalamata olives, red onion, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, refreshing greek dressing and yummy pasta. This delicious vegan salad is great as a side dish or as a filling lunch.
Happy summer everyone! As you can tell, I enjoy preparing dishes with greek and mediterranean flavors during the warm months of spring and summer. My easy vegan recipe for greek pasta salad is light, fresh, tangy and packed with tasty mediterranean vegetables. This dish came about when I was making my recipe for Mediterranean Chickpea Salad. I added some left over pasta noodles and transformed it into a completely new dish.
This recipe for greek pasta salad reminded me of my favorite local Greek restaurant that had the most amazing greek salads. I particularly loved the pasta salads, chopped salads and lentil salads. The pasta was soaked in a vinaigrette that was tangy and sweet. Then doused in cheese, olives, capers, cucumbers, peppers and fresh dill. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Now that I follow a vegan lifestyle, I decided to customize this recipe that conforms to the way vegans eat. It’s extremely versatile, meaning you can throw in any ingredients that you want. Whether you serve this recipe for lunch or as a side-dish, you’ll definitely want to add this salad to your 30 Minute Vegan Meal rotation.
Reasons to love my vegan recipe for greek pasta salad
Besides the fact that greek pasta salad tastes delicious, there are many other reasons why I like making this recipe. Here are a few more notes I wanted to point out.
- Quick and easy: you only need 7 ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your fridge or pantry
- Versatile: vegan Greek Pasta Salad makes for a delicious side dish at parties, lunch and dinner
- Storage: pasta salad stores quite well in the fridge for up to 5 days
- Vegan: you don’t need eggs or dairy for this recipe
- Family treat: this recipe sticks to your healthy lifestyle but feels like you’re having a naughty meal
- Adjustable serving size: easily double or triple the salad recipe by keeping the same ingredient ratio
Ingredients you’ll need
This recipe is super easy and only requires a few simple ingredients. Here is everything you’ll need.
- Pasta: you can use any of your favorite noodles but I like to use rigatoni or penne pasta because the grooves help hold the dressing.
- Chickpeas: chickpeas are optional but I like to add them for extra protein. Simply drain and rinse off canned chickpeas. You can use dry chickpeas and follow the label instructions to cook them. The chickpeas should be tender yet firm to the touch.
- Purple Cabbage: adds crunch to the salad. Any type of cabbage will work fine such as yellow, purple or red.
- Tomatoes: I use sliced cherry tomatoes or diced petite tomatoes. Alternatively, use a fresh pico de gallo.
- Cucumber: diced English cucumber is a refreshing vegetable to use in this recipe
- Garlic: about 2-3 cloves of minced garlic
- Roasted red pepper: diced or sliced
- Capers: optional
- Red onion
- Olives: kalamata, black or green olives are all equally delicious
- Olive oil
- Rice Vinegar
- Mustard: yellow mustard or dijon works best. You’ll only need a little.
- Dried oregano
How to make vegan greek pasta salad
Time needed: 20 minutes.
Step by step instructions for preparing vegan recipe for greek pasta salad
- Make the pasta
Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add the pasta to the pot. Cook the pasta for 8-10 minutes until al dente.
Drain the water from the pasta and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. - Prep the vegetables
Chop the purple cabbage, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, capers, roasted red peppers, garlic and red onion.
Place the chopped produce and the chickpeas into a large mixing bowl.
- Make the vinaigrette
In a small measuring cup, whisk together mustard, vinegar, dried oregano and olive oil. The vinaigrette will become smooth and creamy. Add in 1/4 teaspoon of oregano and whisk to combine.
- Combine
Add the pasta and the vinaigrette to the mixing bowl and gently toss until it coats all of the ingredients.
Allow the salad to chill in the fridge for 10 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
How to store recipe for greek pasta salad
- Refrigerator: This greek pasta salad will store perfectly in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store the Greek Vinaigrette separately from the produce. Drizzle the dressing on the salad when you are ready to serve or let it marinate for 30 minutes.
- Meal prep: This recipe for Greek Pasta Salad can be packed for meal prep and stored in multi-use glass containers for easy to-go meals. You can store the salad and dressing separately and toss together before serving.
Serving Suggestions
- Sandwiches: My recipe for greek pasta salad pairs perfectly with Smoky Tempeh Wraps, Veggie Hummus Wraps, Vegan Taquitos or a Vegan Chickpea Tuna Salad Sandwich.
- Other Mediterranean Dishes: Easy One Pot Pasta with Tomatoes and Garlic, Greek Lentil Salad, Mediterranean Chopped Summer Salad or Mediterranean Chickpea Salad.
- Toppings: Add sliced avocado or crumbled vegan feta cheese for true Mediterranean flavor. I like to squeeze a little lemon juice on top of my salad for extra acidity.
- Salads: Pair with other great salads like Lentil Salad with Ginger Dressing, Vegan Kale Caesar Salad, Classic Vegan Potato Salad or Vegan Sriracha Potato Salad.
- Entertaining: Prepare a large batch of this recipe by double or tripling the ingredients. Pour the salad into large serving trays and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. I like to leave it out with giant serving tongs or a spoon so everyone can help themselves.
Recipe Variations
This recipe for greek pasta salad is versatile and you can add or substitute any ingredients that you want. Here are some variations of this recipe that I have experimented with and highly suggest.
- Fresh herbs: for a burst of flavor, chop up fresh parsley, tarragon, dill, basil or rosemary.
- White Beans: if you’re not a fan of chickpeas, this recipe tastes just as good with white beans or lentils.
- Dressing: Add hummus to the dressing and whisk it together until it becomes a thick and creamy dressing.
- Red Pepper: take a few slices of roasted red pepper and blend it together with the hummus for a tasty vinaigrette
- Veggies: substitute or add any of your favorite vegetables. I have also made this Greek Pasta Salad with artichoke, hearts of palm, radishes, celery, green onion, leeks and beets. Any vegetable that you use will taste great.
- Vegan Feta Cheese: If you’re a cheese lover then listen up. Crumbled vegan feta in this salad is delicious.
Commonly Asked Questions
Using a pasta with rigid edges helps the dressing and the vegetables stick to the pasta. For this recipe, using a penne, bowtie, shell, etc is good.
I always find that cooking the pasta in boiling salted water for 8-10 minutes is the optimal cooking time. Rinsing the pasta under cold water, known as shocking, is a process that stops the pasta from cooking. Stopping the cooking process prevents the pasta from becoming gummy and overcooked.
Substitute or add any of your favorite vegetables. I have also made this salad with artichoke, hearts of palm, radishes, celery, green onion, leeks and capers. Any vegetable that you use will taste great.
If you try this Vegan Recipe for Greek Pasta Salad, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make. Cheers.
Vegan Recipe for Greek Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 box penne pasta (or pasta of your choice)
- 15 ounces canned chickpeas, drained
- ½ cup shredded purple cabbage
- ¼ cup red onion, diced (or yellow or white onion)
- ¼ cup English cucumber, diced
- ¼ cup kalamata olives, halved
- ¼ cup roasted red peppers, sliced
- 2 tablespoons capers
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Make the pasta:Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add the pasta to the pot. Cook the pasta for 8-10 minutes until al dente.Drain the water from the pasta and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process
- Prep the vegetables:Chop the purple cabbage, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, capers, roasted red peppers, garlic and red onion.Place the chopped produce and the chickpeas into a large mixing bowl.
- Make the vinaigrette:In a small measuring cup, whisk together mustard, vinegar, dried oregano and olive oil. The vinaigrette will become smooth and creamy. Add in 1/4 teaspoon of oregano and whisk to combine.
- Combine:Add the pasta and the vinaigrette to the mixing bowl and gently toss until it coats all of the ingredients.Allow the salad to chill in the fridge for 10 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
Notes
HOW TO STORE RECIPE FOR GREEK PASTA SALAD
- Refrigerator: This greek pasta salad will store perfectly in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store the Greek Vinaigrette separately from the produce. Drizzle the dressing on the salad when you are ready to serve or let it marinate for 30 minutes.
- Meal prep: This recipe for Greek Pasta Salad can be packed for meal prep and stored in multi-use glass containers for easy to-go meals. You can store the salad and dressing separately and toss together before serving.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
- Sandwiches: My recipe for greek pasta salad pairs perfectly with Smoky Tempeh Wraps, Veggie Hummus Wraps, Vegan Taquitos or a Vegan Chickpea Tuna Salad Sandwich.
- Other Mediterranean Dishes: Easy One Pot Pasta with Tomatoes and Garlic, Greek Lentil Salad, Mediterranean Chopped Summer Salad or Mediterranean Chickpea Salad.
- Toppings: Add sliced avocado or crumbled vegan feta cheese for true Mediterranean flavor. I like to squeeze a little lemon juice on top of my salad for extra acidity.
- Salads: Pair with other great salads like Lentil Salad with Ginger Dressing, Vegan Kale Caesar Salad, Classic Vegan Potato Salad or Vegan Sriracha Potato Salad.
- Entertaining: Prepare a large batch of this recipe by double or tripling the ingredients. Pour the salad into large serving trays and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. I like to leave it out with giant serving tongs or a spoon so everyone can help themselves.
RECIPE VARIATIONS
This recipe for greek pasta salad is versatile and you can add or substitute any ingredients that you want. Here are some variations of this recipe that I have experimented with and highly suggest.- Fresh herbs: for a burst of flavor, chop up fresh parsley, tarragon, dill, basil or rosemary.
- White Beans: if you’re not a fan of chickpeas, this recipe tastes just as good with white beans or lentils.
- Dressing: Add hummus to the dressing and whisk it together until it becomes a thick and creamy dressing.
- Red Pepper: take a few slices of roasted red pepper and blend it together with the hummus for a tasty vinaigrette
- Veggies: substitute or add any of your favorite vegetables. I have also made this Greek Pasta Salad with artichoke, hearts of palm, radishes, celery, green onion, leeks and beets. Any vegetable that you use will taste great.
- Vegan Feta Cheese: If you’re a cheese lover then listen up. Crumbled vegan feta in this salad is delicious.
