Salads are good year round. Our family has one pretty much every day for lunch or dinner and sometimes even for breakfast! This Greek pasta salad with Feta cheese is what we reach for as spring and summer veggies make their way into our garden, sometimes with a couple eggs on top, either boiled, fried or scrambled eggs, with or without avocado.
How To Make Greek Pasta Salad With Feta Cheese
Roland Kalamata Olves, Pitted, 5LB (2.27kg)
We like to prep it in advance, so we can make the salad in just minutes.
Then, when we’re ready to eat, we just add our favorite veggies straight from the garden (or from the farmer’s market). One of the best vegetables to use for Greek pasta salad are tomatoes.
We love homegrown heirloom tomatoes that come in lots of different colors, but you can use any tomato you have access to, along with cucumbers, onions (red onions give an added visual appeal and hint of spice), green and red bell peppers, etc.
You can add your favorite olives. We prefer Kalamata olives for that unique Mediterranean flavor. YUM!
The dressing for this salad is AMAZING! Making a dressing with feta in it gives it a savory goodness worth repeating.
The dressing includes the additional winning flavors of sour cream mixed with dill, oregano, garlic, lemon zest and juice, a pinch of salt, and some vinegar. Blend in olive oil for a creamy herbal blend full of flavor.
Greek Herb Pasta Salad With Feta Cheese
Ingredients
Cooked Salad Ingredients
- 8 oz Banza chickpea pasta or use your favorite pasta, or whatever you have on hand.
Fresh Salad Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber cut into ½-inch cubes (or your favorite cucumber)
- 15 cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 medium red onion thinly sliced, separating clumps
- 1 cup basil leaves torn or ribboned (chopped in strips)
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped fine
- 1/2 cup lemon balm or other mint, ribboned (chopped in strips)
- 1/2 cup feta crumbled or cubed
- 1 cup Kalamata olives pitted, (or black olives)
- 1/2 cup pine nuts toasted, as garnish sprinkled on top of servings
- 8 cups raw kale chopped or shredded, (optional), or your favorite lettuce. This will be the bed for the above blended salad.
Salad Dressing Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic (or 4 cloves roasted)
- 1 lemon zest and juice, (or blend whole lemon in mini blender)
- 1/4 cup fresh dill roughly chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh oregano roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup sour cream or sub with mayo, yogurt, or buttermilk
- 1/2 cup feta crumbled
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil extra virgin
Instructions
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the 8 oz Banza chickpea pasta according to the package directions. Drain (save liquid for other uses) and set aside to cool down.
- While pasta is cooking and cooling, you can make the salad and dressing.
Salad Instructions
- While pasta is cooking and cooling, add the rest of the salad ingredients to a large bowl: 1 English cucumber, 15 cherry tomatoes, 1 medium red onion, 1 cup basil leaves, 1/2 cup fresh parsley, 1/2 cup lemon balm , 1/2 cup feta, and 1/4 pound Kalamata olives and the cooled pasta.
- Add the salad dressing to the vegetable salad and pasta and stir gently to blend well.
Blender Method Instructions for Salad Dressing
- In a small blender, chop 2 cloves garlic followed by the 1 lemon (chopped or as zest and juice).
- Add roughly chopped fresh herbs: 1/4 cup fresh dill, 1 Tbsp fresh oregano and process.
- Add 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup feta, 1 tsp balsamic vinegar, and 1/4 cup olive oil, and whiz until well blended and creamy.
Food Processor Instructions for Salad Dressing
- We like the mini food processor best for mincing garlic, (or use a large food processor and pre-mince the garlic).
- Chop 2 cloves garlic (whole or pre-minced) followed by the 1 lemon (chopped or as zest and juice), followed by roughly chopped fresh herbs: 1/4 cup fresh dill, 1 Tbsp fresh oregano and process.
- Next blend add the 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup feta, 1 tsp balsamic vinegar, and 1/4 cup olive oil, and whiz to blend.
- With the processor running, slowly add the olive oil until combined and smooth.
Serve It Up
- Place ~2 cups of chopped kale onto a plate or large salad bowl.
- Ladle 1/4 of the salad per plate to the bed of kale.
- Top with toasted pine nuts.
Nutrition
DRESS IT UP “Fancy and Fresh Greek Pasta Salad”
If you want to serve this for a special occasion, use a fancy flat pasta like Rombi by Bionaturae.
Instead of the chopped cucumbers, use a vegetable peeler to make cucumber ribbons, and replace the tomatoes with 1 pint halved multicolored heirloom cherry tomatoes. Instant fancy dinner salad 😉
For more healthy cucumber recipes, you may also enjoy this unusual stir fried cucumber recipe.
Another super simple summer cucumber favorite is cucumber water with lemon and mint for healthy summer hydration. We make this in a big urn and leave it on the counter on ice, when there’s four or more of us. Or, for just one or two, have it as a pitcher in the fridge.