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This Greek Pasta Salad recipe is the perfect easy dinner recipe. We love pasta salad with Orzo and Greek salad is my favorite kind – the two together pair so well. Leftovers are perfect for lunch or take this to a potluck!
The Easiest Greek Salad Recipe
This salad has countless elements to it with so many flavors and textures all coming together in one large bowl. It is my favorite salad recipe to make and bring to pot lucks or any event where a salad is needed! Because of everything that goes into making it–everyone will like something from it!
I use an amazing from scratch vinaigrette on top which pulls everything together! Because it is a pasta salad, I chose Orzo. It is a small pasta, but goes in great with this salad because it is not overwhelming, and you still have a great pasta taste!
Ingredients Needed
- Orzo Pasta: This small pasta resembles rice, but it’s pasta. I like how it makes the salad so simple. You can also use bowtie pasta or gluten-free pasta.
- Romaine Lettuce: Romaine is best but you could also use spring mix or a combination of spinach and iceberg lettuce.
- Grape Tomatoes, Red Onion, Kalamata Olives, Cucumber: These are all classic Greek salad ingredients. You could also use cherry tomatoes or add bell peppers. I love using English cucumbers but Persian cucumbers work too.
- Garbanzo Beans: This is a classic greek salad ingredient – these are also called chickpeas.
- Feta Cheese: The classic greek cheese is added into the dressing and on top of the salad.
How to make Greek Pasta Salad
- You’ll need to cook your orzo. Cook pasta according to the package directions, in a large pot of salted water you’ve brought to a boil. Cook it to al dente then drain and rinse with cold water.
- Place lettuce, tomatoes, onion, olives, beans, and feta in a large mixing bowl.
- Make the greek salad dressing: Add red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, dried oregano, extra virgin olive oil and rest of the vinaigrette ingredients to a jar. Cover and shake to combine. Taste to see if it needs an extra pinch of salt.
- Pour dressing over salad, toss to coat.
- Store in refrigerator up to 12 hours before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to one day.
Expert Tips
- Storage: Cover it in the fridge and for the next day.
- If you want it to last longer, don’t pour the dressing all over the salad. If you let anyone you are serving do it themselves then the salad will not get soggy over time!
- Add some chicken in if you’d like – you can use rotisserie chicken or shredded chicken that’s leftover.
FAQs
Store it in the fridge for a few days!
Add as many other vegetables as you like.
Dijon mustard is a great emulsifier for salad dressing but I don’t like the taste, so I omit. But you can add up to a tablespoon if you want a creamier dressing.
Greek Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 cup orzo pasta cooked and drained
- 4 cups romain lettuce washed and cut
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
- ½ red onion sliced
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives sliced
- ½ English cucumber chopped
- 1 can 15 ounces garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup feta cheese crumbled
For the dressing:
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 2 garlic cloves pressed
- 1 tablespoon finely diced red onion
- 2 tablespoons feta cheese
- ½ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Place lettuce, orzo, tomatoes, onion, olives, beans, and feta in a large salad bowl.
- Make the dressing: add all dressing ingredients to a jar. Cover and shake to combine.
- Pour dressing over salad, toss to coat.
- Store in refrigerator up to 12 hours before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to one day.
Good for hot days
I made this salad today and loved it! When I was reading over the information about it (the article before the actual recipe printable)
I noticed it is supposed to include red peppers and they are not listed in the ingredients. I am going to add them next time though!
Do you have to use garbanzo beans? I
don’t like them.
No you can omit!
I haven’t made the receipt yet… when storing in refrigerator for 12 hours before eating is the romaine added? Wouldn’t the romaine get wilted from the dressing?
Made this Greek pasta salad with Orzo today, husband and I loved it! I added red bell peppers as I’m not a fan of tomatoes and only 1/3 cup of chick peas. i never cooked Orzo before but my grandson looked in the pot and wanted some. I saved him some Orzo, he likes it with butter and parm cheese. This recipe is a keeper!
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