This Greek Pasta Salad is loaded with fresh vegetables, chickpeas, Kalamata olives, feta, and a zesty homemade Greek dressing. Perfect for meal prep, picnics, and summer gatherings. Video.
If you surrender to the wind, you can ride it. ~ Toni Morrison
Greek Pasta Salad is filled with fresh, crunchy veggies and zesty herbs with just enough pasta to complement and soak up the delicious Greek Salad Dressing. I love how orzo pasta doesn’t take up a lot of space in the salad. It just adds to it without stealing the show. You can add feta or keep it vegan.
I've made this so many times, and it is always a hit. I wouldn't change a thing. Perfection!
What Makes This Greek Pasta Salad Different?
This Greek Pasta Salad starts with everything you love about a classic Greek salad-crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, Kalamata olives, oregano, lemon, and creamy feta-but turns it into a hearty, satisfying meal. Tender orzo and protein-rich chickpeas make it substantial enough for lunch or dinner, while a bright homemade Greek dressing keeps it light, fresh, and full of Mediterranean flavor.
Why you’ll love this Greek Pasta Salad
Fresh and full of Mediterranean flavor - Crisp vegetables, briny olives, creamy feta, and a bright homemade dressing make every bite vibrant and satisfying.
Perfect for meal prep - This salad holds up beautifully in the refrigerator, making it ideal for weekday lunches and easy grab-and-go meals.
A complete meal - Chickpeas add plant-based protein and fiber, turning this into a hearty lunch or light dinner.
Great for entertaining - Perfect for picnics, potlucks, barbecues, and summer gatherings because it travels well and feeds a crowd.
Easy to customize - Swap the pasta shape, add grilled chicken or shrimp, or toss in extra vegetables to make it your own.
Greek Pasta Salad Recipe Ingredients
- Pasta - Orzo is my favorite for this salad, but any small pasta shape works beautifully.
- Fresh vegetables - Cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, and red onion add crisp texture, vibrant color, and classic Greek salad flavor.
- Chickpeas - Add plant-based protein and fiber, making this pasta salad hearty enough for lunch or a light dinner.
- Kalamata olives - Bring their signature briny, Mediterranean flavor.
- Fresh herbs - Parsley adds freshness while basil or mint make a wonderful optional garnish.
- Feta cheese - Creamy sheep’s milk feta adds rich, tangy flavor. Leave it out for a delicious vegan version.
- Greek dressing - Olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper create a bright, zesty homemade dressing.
How to make Greek Pasta Salad
Step 1: Cook the pasta. Orzo takes about 6 minutes to boil in water. Salting the cooking water will heighten the flavor immensely!
Step 2: Make the dressing. We make the Greek Salad Dressing right off the bat. Using dried oregano gives a more zesty punch to the dressing.
This is a great dressing to double up on. You’ll be happy to see it in your fridge. It is so very versatile! Not only great for pasta salads, but also perfect for green and vegetable salads and as a marinade for chicken. It keeps for at least 2 weeks refrigerated.
Step 3: Chop the veggies. We marinate the diced onions in the vinaigrette first to mellow them and follow with the veggies as we chop them. Bell peppers, chickpeas and olives all get a jump on soaking up flavor from the dressing before adding the pasta.
Step 4: Combine. Add in cooked orzo pasta, more dressing and cubed feta cheese (if using). Mix to combine.
Step 5: Adjust the flavor. Taste and adjust flavor adding more dressing, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon if needed. Add fresh basil and mint just before serving.
Storage And Make Ahead
Make ahead: Greek Pasta Salad is an excellent make-ahead recipe. Prepare it up to 1 day ahead, allowing the flavors to meld before serving.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Refreshing leftovers: The pasta will absorb some of the dressing as it sits. Before serving, toss with a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, or a splash of red wine vinegar to brighten the flavors. Add fresh herbs just before serving for the best flavor and color.
Serving suggestions
Serve as a vegetarian main dish, along with a chilled summer soup like our Gazpacho or Cucumber soup! Or serve alongside a summer sandwich, like our Vegan BLT or Vegetarian Souvlaki! Or pair this with our grilled chicken, Greek chicken meatballs, or this cedar-planked salmon.
It makes a lovely picnic lunch with a slice of our Blackberry Pie for dessert! Serve for 4th of July with some of our other favorite 4th of July recipes!
More Favorite Pasta Salad Recipes
- Classic Greek Salad
- Pesto Pasta Salad
- Caprese Pasta Salad
- Caprese Pasta Salad
- Summer Pasta Salad with Cilantro Pesto
- Lemon Basil Orzo Pasta Salad
- Farmers Market Pasta Salad
- Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad (Balela Salad)
- Mediterranean Farro Salad w/ Marinated Zucchini and Chickpeas
- Lemony Chickpea Quinoa Salad
- 35 Easy Delicious Potluck Ideas
- Baked Feta Pasta
- Pesto Chickpeas
- Roasted Vegetable Pasta
You may also want to check out more of our classic salad dressing recipes or pasta recipes!
Greek Pasta Salad Video
Best Greek Pasta Salad Recipe
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Total Time: 31 minutes
- Yield: 8 cups 1x
- Category: pasta salad, salad
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Mediteranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This healthy Greek Pasta Salad is the perfect make-ahead pasta salad for summertime picnics, BBQs, potlucks, and easy dinners. A hearty ratio of fresh veggies combined with tender orzo pasta, chickpeas tossed in the tastiest Greek salad dressing.
Ingredients
Greek Pasta Salad
- 8–10 ounces dry pasta (orzo or other small pasta)
- 1/4 red onion, about 1/3 cup, diced small
- 1 red bell pepper (or 1/2 red, 1/2 green), chopped small
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 15 oz can chickpeas, 1 1/2 cups, drained
- 1/3 cup kalamata olives, sliced
- 2 cups thin skinned cucumber, chopped small
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup basil and/or mint for garnish if desired
- 6–8 oz feta cheese (sheep’s feta is the best!), optional
Greek Salad Dressing:
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Cook the orzo pasta according to the package directions in salted water. Drain and rinse with cool water and set aside.
- Make the dressing by whisking together red wine vinegar, lemon juice, dijon mustard, garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Drizzle in olive oil, whisking all the while to emulsify.
- Add diced red onions and a 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette to a large bowl. Allowing them to marinate while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Add bell peppers next along with oregano, chickpeas, and kalamata olives.
- Add cucumbers, tomatoes and parsley. Toss altogether. Add in cooked orzo pasta, 1/4 cup more of dressing and cubed feta cheese (if using). Gently mix.
- Taste and adjust flavor adding more dressing, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon if needed.
Toss with basil and mint just before serving.
Notes
Add red pepper flakes if desired.
Salad will keep up to 4 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 698.4 mg
- Fat: 17.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 26.9 g
- Fiber: 4.8 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 18.9 mg
great summer salad, great flavor, great crunch that holds
Glad you enjoyed Therease!
Hello! I love your recipes! I plan to serve this salad for a big upcoming picnic. Do you suggest mixing it morning of, or day before?
Hi Cindy, You could make the dressing and cook the pasta ahead. I would add tomatoes, cucumbers, and basil until just a bit before serving.
Thanks so much!
We love this salad, and I’m sure will make it often. Easy, healthy, and delicious.
Great to hear Polly!
Delicious! Will be making this over and over. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Great to hear Kevin! Thanks for the review.
I’ve made this salad SO MANY times! It is simply the best.
Great to hear Susan!
Too oily, sorry.. I’m normally a huge fan of the recipes, but found the dressing too oily and overwhelmed the other flavours.
Otherwise a lovely idea, but will adjust the volume of dressing and amount of oil in future.
Thank you
Okay, sorry it didn’t work for you Caroline. The salad tends to absorb a lot of dressing, curious if leftovers were any different?
No worries! I prefer my salads with less dressing and oil. It had a lovely texture, but felt a bit unhealthy. I loved the idea, and will make again, just with less dressing! Thank you. As I say, love all your recipes and this is the first that didn’t work for me… I just see salads as being lighter and less dressing, letting natural flavours flourish.
Thanks Caroline. Yes totally adjust to your taste!
Made this salad last night to go with burgers. It was easy to make and turned out great!! Everyone really enjoyed it. Planning on making it again to bring to a BBQ.
Great Stacie, glad you enjoyed!
Love this salad. I serve the feta on the side as some cannot eat dairy. Serve as main dish or as side with kabobs
Glad you enjoyed Phyllis!
I served this salad with your Greek Gyro recipe and it was a hit all around the table!
Sounds perfect Debbie!
My husband and I live on salads in the summer months. This is one of our favorites! It’s simple, quick, colorful, and so delicious with the tart capers, olives, and feta cheese. Yum!
Glad you are enjoying Janet!
Such a delicious salad, with so much flavor and texture! The “fresh” oregano was such great addition, which I don’t normally use. I served it with your Greek chicken meatballs, which I had in the freezer. Definitely a keeper…thank you!
Glad you enjoyed Patti! Yummy combo with the meatballs.
Absolutely delicious and perfect for the hot weather we were having! The dressing is so good! I used fresh oregano from the garden! The sheep’s milk feta is such a good call. I’ll definitely be making this again, thank you! ❤️
Thanks Angeli! Glad you liked this one. Really appreciate your reviews :)💛
I love the medley of ingredients in this salad and wondering if you recommend using flat leaf parsley or curly parsley?
We prefer flat leaf parsley here!
I’ve made this so many times and it is always a hit. I wouldn’t change a thing. Perfection!
Great to hear this Susan!
So delicious & wonderful for hot weather! Thanks for this yummy recipe. Love your website. 🙂
Thanks Mary! Glad you enjoyed this one.
This has become a summer go-to for dinners at home or as a side for dinners with friends. The flavors are amazing and the combination of crunchy fresh veggies, tender orzo, and creamy feta is satisfying. I’m going to make it again today!!
Great to hear Lauren! Thanks for taking time to leave us a review.
Sweet and tangy BBQ tofu sandwich last week. Veggie-packed-and-bursting-with-flavor Greek pasta last night. And the vinaigrette will make a quick and delicious dressing for future salads. I’m not sure which search led me to you, but I’m glad I found you.
So glad you’re here Dahlia! Really appreciate the review!
This is such a crowd pleaser!
Great to hear this Faye!
Cette salade est une explosion de saveur. Je suis tellement contente de t avoir connu .Un grand merci !
Glad you enjoyed this salad Manon!
I made this using a gluten free orzo and the flavors are still great!
Great to hear Lexi!
Yummy and healthy
Great!
I made this for a baby shower over the weekend, and everyone loved it! I let it sit refrigerated overnight, as suggested, and the flavors deepened and brightened. Thank you!
Great Janet, thanks for letting us know!
if i just wanted to make the dressing, how many servings would you say it is? using the 1x measurements (i want to add the dressing to myfitnesspal recipe log but it’s asking for serves how many lol!)
There is a separate post for the Greek Salad Dressing, that will have more of those details!
Tonia,
This Greek salad was simply delicious!
I certainly love salads with all the the different colors!
I doubled the recipe& there wasn’t a lot left over!
Yummy the next day as well!
I will definitely make again.
Thank you!
Wonderful to hear Suzan! Thanks so much for letting us know.:)