Description
This Greek Pasta Salad with Chickpeas is a vibrant, wholesome dish bursting with fresh vegetables, plant-based cheese, and a tangy apple cider vinegar dressing. It balances protein, crunch, and zesty flavors perfectly, making it ideal for a quick lunch, light dinner, or crowd-pleasing meal. Easy to prepare and highly adaptable, this colorful salad brings fresh Mediterranean flair to your table any time of year.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 2 cups cooked short pasta (fusilli or rotini)
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 medium cucumber, diced
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
- 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup plant-based feta-style cheese, cubed
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Dressing
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar (natural)
- 3 tbsp olive oil (natural)
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and keep the pasta cool for the salad.
- Prepare the Vegetables and Chickpeas: While the pasta cooks, dice the cucumber, halve the cherry tomatoes, thinly slice the red onion, and roughly chop the parsley. Open and drain the chickpeas, rinsing them thoroughly to remove any excess liquid.
- Mix the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper until well combined and emulsified. This dressing brings the whole salad to life.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, toss the cooked pasta, chickpeas, vegetables, Kalamata olives, and plant-based cheese pieces. Pour the dressing over and gently mix everything together so the flavors blend evenly.
- Chill and Serve: Refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld beautifully. Give it a final toss before serving to ensure every bite bursts with flavor and freshness.
Notes
- Use cold pasta: Rinsing pasta after cooking prevents clumping for a perfect texture in salads.
- Season gradually: Start with little salt and pepper since olives and cheese add saltiness.
- Let it rest: Chilling the salad enhances flavor mingling and texture balance.
- Add crunch last: Toss in delicate herbs or softer veggies right before serving.
- Customize texture: Adjust chickpeas and vegetable ratios to suit preferences between creaminess and crunch.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: Greek pasta salad, chickpeas salad, plant-based salad, Mediterranean salad, quick lunch, vegan pasta salad
