This High-Protein Mediterranean Pasta Salad has all the flavors you need: protein-packed chickpea pasta, freshly chopped veggies, and a dairy-free lemon-herb vinaigrette dressing! Pull out a big bowl of this on a hot summer day for a meal that's both refreshing and nutritious.
This Greek pasta is going to be next in your regular meal rotation! It's savory, with a tangy lemon-vinaigrette dressing, and contains a full serving of healthy vegetables. You can eat it really cold, or just room temperature. Make a batch for meal prep and take it to lunch, BBQs, or picnics.
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving: $0.87
- Total Cost (about 6 servings): $5.21
- Those Other Guys: $8.99 per serving
Ingredients
- Chickpea Rotini Pasta - I tried plant-based pasta for the first time and absolutely love it. It only has one ingredient - chickpea flour - and has a great texture that's almost identical to regular pasta.
- Cucumbers & Tomatoes - To keep with the Greek/Mediterranean theme, we're using some of the top veggies from that region... juicy cucumbers and tomatoes.
- Marinated Olives - These give a great savory, salty, almost meaty flavor and texture to our vegetarian pasta salad.
- Feta Cheese - A sprinkle of feta cheese really sets this pasta salad off! You can skip if you prefer, but it honestly pairs so well with all of the other ingredients.
- Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette - You can make this salad dressing in literally 3-5 minutes. It has the perfect light, citrusy flavor and is dairy-free!
- Mayonnaise/Greek Yogurt - For a hint of creaminess, stir a little mayo or Greek yogurt into the pasta salad. Greek yogurt will add even more protein to the dish!
- Herbs & Spices - We keep the spices simple with salt, pepper, and salad supreme seasoning. Some fresh basil ties everything together.
Variations and Substitutions
Protein Options: To make this pasta salad even more filling, try adding proteins like shrimp, grilled salmon, roasted chickpeas, or chicken breasts.
Other Vegetables: Get creative with the mix-ins: grilled zucchini or chopped bell peppers would be so good here.
Dressings: Instead of vinaigrette, stir in some fresh tzatziki sauce or hummus!
How to Make Greek Pasta Salad
Pasta salad is one of my favorite lunches to meal prep because it doesn't take tons of effort, plus you can add lots of veggies and herbs.
- Start out by cooking your pasta for 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain, and immediately add the pasta to a large bowl of cold water and ice. This stops the pasta from cooking!
- Chop up your veggies into bite-sized pieces.
- Drain your pasta, then add in the veggies, fresh chopped basil, and feta cheese.
- Pour in the lemon-herb vinaigrette dressing and mayo/Greek yogurt. Stir well until the pasta is completely combined.
- Season to taste with salad supreme seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
- That's it! You can eat immediately, or let everything marinate in the fridge for about an hour to deepen the flavors.
Recipe FAQs
Cover the bowl with a lid and store in the refrigerator - it will keep for about a week.
Grilled chicken (I love making and seasoning it like in these Greek Chicken Gyros), crispy roasted chickpeas, or perfectly cooked salmon all pair really well with this pasta salad.
However, it's actually really filling just as is. The pasta is made with legumes, so it's a little more substantial.
Other Easy Summer Salad Recipes You'll Crave!
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High-Protein Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Large Mixing Bowl for ice bath
- Strainer
- Chef's Knife
- Whisk or immersion blender - for vinaigrette
- Large Bowl for serving
Ingredients
- 12 ounces chickpea rotini pasta
- 1 cup Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette (or your favorite vinaigrette dressing)
- ½ count English cucumber
- 6 ounces grape tomatoes
- 3 ounces black olives (drained)
- ½ cup feta cheese (crumbled)
- 2 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 ½ teaspoons salad supreme seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt (plus more for boiling)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add salted water to a large pot. Bring to a rolling boil, then boil your pasta for about 8 minutes, until just after al dente.12 ounces chickpea rotini pasta
- To stop the cooking process, drain the pasta and immediately add it to an ice bath (cold water and ice). This helps the pasta maintain its firmness for the salad.
- Once the pasta is cool to the touch, drain the water and set it aside in a serving bowl.
- Prepare your lemon-herb vinaigrette (if not already prepped - it's ready in less than 5 minutes!)1 cup Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette
- Slice the cucumber in half, and scoop out the seeds to remove excess liquid. Chop your vegetables and fruit into bite-sized pieces.½ count English cucumber, 6 ounces grape tomatoes, 3 ounces black olives
- Add the chopped veggies, vinaigrette dressing, feta cheese, fresh herbs, mayo, and seasonings to the pasta bowl. Stir well, and taste to adjust any additional seasonings.½ cup feta cheese, 2 tablespoon fresh chopped basil, ½ cup mayonnaise, 1 ½ teaspoons salad supreme seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Cover the bowl, and refrigerate for an hour to let the flavors marinate. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Let me know what you think!