Name: Greek pasta salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 2 cups of shredded chicken breasts; 16 oz of bowtie pasta; 200g of cherry tomatoes halved; ½ cucumber diced; ¼ cup of black or green olives; ½ cup of crumbled feta cheese; Juice from half a lemon; ½ cup of olive oil; ¼ cup of red wine vinegar; 1 ½ tsp of Oregano; 2 tsp of minced garlic; Salt and pepper to taste

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If you are hoping for a refreshing and satisfying salad, then this Greek Pasta Salad is one you are going to have to try. Perfect for a summer evening meal or to enjoy at your next BBQ.

Who will enjoy this recipe

If you love the taste of Greek salad with the tasty feta cheese and Greek olives, then you are going to love this Greek Pasta Salad. You have all the flavours of the Mediterranean with delicious pasta. This is such an easy recipe and is the perfect salad to enjoy as a lunch or light evening meal, or as a yummy side dish with grilled meat or fish.

You can serve this up at your next BBQ or if you need an easy midweek meal, you know the whole family will love. It is so simple and full of flavour, everyone will love it.

You can enjoy it as your main meal or use small bowls or ramekins to have as a starter or perhaps on a buffet table as individual portions.

Ingredients needed to make the Greek pasta salad

First of all, it is a good idea to ensure that you can get all of the ingredients together. Focusing on this first means that the cooking process will be simple. You will need:

For the salad:

2 cups of shredded chicken breasts
16 oz of bowtie pasta
200g of cherry tomatoes halved
½ cucumber diced
¼ cup of black or green olives
½ cup of crumbled feta cheese

For the vinaigrette:

Juice from half a lemon
½ cup of olive oil
¼ cup of red wine vinegar
1 ½ tsp of Oregano
2 tsp of minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

How to make the Greek pasta salad

Now that you have all your ingredients to hand it is time to make this delicious pasta salad.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 6

First of all, you will need to cook the pasta to your liking. Once cooked, let it drain and cool before moving on to the next step.

Add the pasta to a large mixing bowl with the cucumbers, tomatoes, chicken, olives, and feta cheese.

Mix together all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small bowl until well combined.

Pour the vinaigrette over the pasta salad and toss to combine well.

Serve immediately, or chill before serving if desired.

Making the vinaigrette:

Add oil to a small bowl

Add red wine vinegar to the bowl.

Add lemon juice and herbs to the vinaigrette mix.

Add minced or crushed garlic and stir well.

Set your vinaigrette aside for this recipe or make for another salad.

Recipe notes and tips

When it comes to any recipe, it is always a good idea to understand what notes and tips you can use to help you fully utilize the recipe and have success each and every time. If you want to make the most out of this tasty Greek Salad, then here are some recipe notes and tips to help.

The pasta needs to be cool for this recipe. So make sure you cook the pasta ahead of time.
If you are making this ahead of time, then don’t combine the vinaigrette with the pasta salad until you are ready to serve.
This is a perfect dish to use any leftover roast chicken from your Sunday dinner. A lighter way to enjoy leftovers and avoid any food waste.

Variations to try

Like with a lot of recipes, once you have tried them out a few times, you can look to make some changes and vary the recipe to suit your tastes and preferences. So I wanted to share with you some of them that you might want to try.

Why not add some cooked, crispy bacon to the salad? The saltiness of the bacon will work perfectly with the chicken and pasta.
If you are serving to children, then you may want to leave the olives out completely or put them on the side for the adults to enjoy on their portion.
Add some extra raw vegetables to the salad. Chopped peppers, celery, or grated carrots will all be welcome additions to the salad – a great way to add extra nutrition.
Include some shredded iceberg lettuce in the salad.
Why not make some crunchy croutons? You can buy them or toast some up with some leftover bread.

FAQs

Like with any recipe, there are often questions that need answering. I thought I would share some of the common questions here, but if you have any comments or questions please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.

How should I serve the Greek pasta salad?

This is the perfect meal to enjoy as it is. A light and tasty salad on a warm summer’s day. You could serve it up with some warm flatbreads on the side. It will also be a great salad to enjoy at your next BBQ and will be easily enjoyed with other grilled meats.

How do I store the Greek pasta salad?

If you are making this ahead of time then store the vinaigrette and the pasta salad in separate airtight containers until you are ready to serve. This will be good to make a day ahead.

With leftovers, just add them to an airtight container, and before serving make sure you give everything a good mix. You may notice the texture will be softer because of the dressing, but the salad will be good to eat for two days when refrigerated.

Can you make this Vegan?

You could make this suitable for a plant-based diet. You will just need to omit the chicken breast. You could use cooked tofu or some cooked soya pieces instead or just leave it out altogether. You will also need to use a crumbly plant-based cheese. The rest of the ingredients are suitable for vegans.

Is this gluten-free?

To make this delicious salad gluten-free, just use your preferred gluten-free pasta. The rest of the ingredients are suitable for a gluten-free diet.

I hope you enjoy making and eating your Greek pasta salad.

Greek pasta salad

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Author: Jen Mellor
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 Portions 1x
Category: Main meal
Method: Easy
Cuisine: Greek
Diet: Low Calorie

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Description

If you are hoping for a refreshing and satisfying salad then this Greek Pasta Salad is one you are going to have to try. Perfect for a summer evening meal or to enjoy at your next BBQ

Ingredients

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For the salad:

2 cups of shredded chicken breasts

16 oz of bowtie pasta

200g of cherry tomatoes halved

1/2 cucumber diced

1/4 cup of black or green olives

1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese

For the vinaigrette:

Juice from half a lemon

1/2 cup of olive oil

1/4 cup of red wine vinegar

1 1/2 tsp of Oregano

2 tsp of minced garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

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