Healthy Greek Pasta Salad (High-Protein, Gluten-Free)

Name: Healthy Greek Pasta Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 8 oz dried chickpea pasta; ⅓ cup red onion (finely diced); 1 cup sweet cherry tomatoes (halved); 2 - 3 cups fresh arugula; 1 medium red bell pepper (de-seeded & chopped); 1 medium yellow or orange bell pepper (de-seeded & chopped); 1 medium green bell pepper (de-seeded & chopped); 1 ½ cups English cucumber (sliced into quarter-moons (about 1 cucumber)); ½ cup kalamata olives (no pits & sliced); 4 ounces feta cheese (cut into ½ inch cubes or ½ cup crumbled); 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 1 large lemon (juiced (~3 - 4 Tablespoons)); 2 tbsp red wine vinegar; 1 tsp dijon mustard; 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 tsp dried oregano; ½ tsp salt (more to taste); ¼ tsp black pepper (more to taste)

This healthy Greek pasta salad is fresh, gluten-free, and genuinely filling. Crisp veggies, peppery arugula, and feta get tossed in a tangy homemade vinaigrette with Banza chickpea pasta for 15g of protein and 271 calories per serving, with just 15 minutes of prep.

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Healthy Greek pasta salad with chickpea fusilli, arugula, cherry tomatoes, and feta in a white bowl with a wooden serving spoon.

Healthy Greek Pasta Salad At A Glance

✅ Recipe Name: Healthy Greek Pasta Salad (High-Protein, Gluten-Free)
🕒 Ready In: ~15 minutes prep, plus 30 minutes to chill
👪 Serves: 6
🍽 Calories: ~271 per serving
💪 Protein: ~15g per serving
🥣 Main Ingredients: Chickpea pasta, arugula, English cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red, yellow, and green bell peppers, red onion, kalamata olives, feta, olive oil, lemon, red wine vinegar, dijon, garlic, oregano
📖 Dietary Info: High-protein, gluten-free, no mayo, vegetarian, dairy-free and vegan with one swap
⭐ Why You'll Love It: Most Greek pasta salads are a side dish. This one is lunch. Chickpea pasta brings it to 15 grams of protein at 271 calories, and peppery arugula keeps it from feeling heavy. No mayo, just a lemon and red wine vinegar dressing.

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Why this is my most-made pasta salad

I'm a former D1 rower and endurance athlete, so I care what a lunch actually does for me. Most pasta salads are a side dish, not a meal I can eat before a long run.

Swapping in chickpea pasta was the fix. It takes this to 15 grams of protein per serving at 271 calories, without changing what the salad tastes like.

This has been on my blog since 2021, and it's still what I make almost every Sunday. I portion it out for lunches all week and top it with sliced Greek yogurt marinated chicken or air fryer halloumi or a few Greek chicken meatballs when I want more protein.

Readers have made it with everything from Barilla protein rotini to regular fusilli and reported back.

Jump to:

Healthy Greek Pasta Salad At A Glance
Why this is my most-made pasta salad
Is Greek Pasta Salad Healthy?
Ingredients You'll Need
The best pasta for Greek pasta salad
How to Make Healthy Greek Pasta Salad (Step-by-Step)
Recipe Video
Tips for the best Greek pasta salad
Substitutions and Variations
What to Serve with Greek Pasta Salad
Storage and Meal Prep
Healthy Greek Pasta Salad FAQs
More Pasta Salad Recipes You'll Love
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have made this pasta salad at least a dozen times. It is my all-time favorite and super easy to do! I would recommend this to everyone!

- Annika

Is Greek Pasta Salad Healthy?

It depends on the pasta and the dressing. The vegetable, olive oil, and feta base is solid, but regular pasta only has about 2 grams of protein per serving and most dressings are heavy on oil.

Two swaps fix that here:

Chickpea pasta: Using a brand like Banza gives 11 grams of protein per serving versus 2 in regular pasta, bringing this to 15 grams at 271 calories.
No mayo: The dressing is olive oil, lemon, red wine vinegar, dijon, garlic, and oregano.
8 grams of fiber: From the chickpea pasta, arugula, and veggies.
Vegetables in every bite: Cucumber, tomatoes, three colors of bell pepper, red onion, arugula.

Ingredients You'll Need

Everything here is a grocery store staple. Full measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom.

Ingredients for Greek pasta salad including chickpea pasta, arugula, cucumber, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta, and dressing ingredients in small bowls.

For the pasta salad:

Chickpea pasta: I use Banza fusilli. Any short, ridged shape works: fusilli, rotini, farfalle, or penne, since the twists catch the dressing. It's the same pasta I use in my healthy chicken Caesar pasta salad. Regular or brown rice pasta works too; you just lose the protein.
Arugula: The peppery bite is what keeps this from tasting like a heavy pasta salad. Baby spinach works if arugula is too sharp for you.
Cherry tomatoes: Sweeter than a full-size tomato and they hold up better once dressed. Grape tomatoes work the same.
English cucumber: Thin skin, fewer seeds, so no peeling. Three to four mini Persian cucumbers also work.
Bell peppers: I use red, yellow, and green. One color is fine; three just makes it look better.
Red onion: Slice it thin. If raw onion is too sharp for you, soak the slices in cold water for 10 minutes first.
Kalamata olives: Buy them pitted. This is the flavor that makes it read as Greek instead of just Mediterranean.
Feta: Block feta in brine, crumbled yourself, is creamier than pre-crumbled. Leave it out to make this dairy-free.

For the Greek Dressing:

Extra virgin olive oil: The base. Avocado oil works if that's what you have.
Lemon: One large lemon gets you the 3 to 4 tablespoons you need.
Red wine vinegar: Classic Greek tang. White wine vinegar is the closest sub.
Dijon mustard: You won't taste mustard. It emulsifies the dressing so it doesn't separate.
Garlic: Fresh minced is best. One teaspoon of garlic powder works in a pinch.
Dried oregano: Dried, not fresh, for that classic Greek dressing flavor.
Salt and pepper: Season at the end, after the feta and olives are in, since both are already salty.

Scroll to recipe card for quantities!

The best pasta for Greek pasta salad

Short answer: any short, ridged shape. The twists and ridges catch the dressing, which matters more in a cold salad than a hot one, since there's no sauce clinging to anything. Long shapes like spaghetti clump once chilled.

Pasta	Protein per serving	Best for
Banza chickpea	11g	Highest protein, gluten-free
Regular semolina	2g	Classic texture, cheapest
Brown rice	~4g	Gluten-free, softer
Orzo	2g	Smaller bite, more veg per forkful

How to Make Healthy Greek Pasta Salad (Step-by-Step)

Here's how it comes together. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.

Cooked chickpea fusilli draining in a colander after rinsing under cold water.

Step 1: Cook and cool the pasta. Boil the chickpea pasta in salted water until al dente, then drain and rinse under cold water. Cold pasta is what keeps the arugula from wilting later.

Chopped vegetables, arugula, olives, and feta arranged in a white bowl with cooked pasta before tossing.

Step 2: Build the salad. Add the cooled pasta to a large bowl with arugula, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber, red onion, kalamata olives, and feta.

Homemade Greek dressing being poured over pasta salad ingredients in a white bowl.

Step 3: Add the Greek dressing. Whisk the olive oil, lemon, red wine vinegar, dijon, garlic, and oregano, then pour it over the top.

Greek pasta salad tossed together with vegetables and dressing evenly coated.

Step 4: Toss and chill. Gently toss until everything is coated. Chill for at least 30 minutes so the flavors come together.

Recipe Video

Tips for the best Greek pasta salad

Cook the pasta one minute under: Al dente is what you want. I subtract a minute from the low end of what the box says, because chickpea pasta keeps softening once it sits in the dressing.
Cool the pasta completely before the arugula goes in: This is the one that matters most. Warm pasta wilts arugula almost immediately and softens the cucumber. Rinse it under cold water, let it drain, and don't rush this step.
Salt at the end: Feta and kalamata olives are both salty. Season after they're in, not before.
Give it 30 minutes in the fridge: This is the difference between good and great. The onion mellows and the dressing soaks into the pasta.

Substitutions and Variations

Ingredient Substitutions:

Pasta: Regular, brown rice, orzo, or lentil pasta all work; just like my orzo pesto pasta salad. You lose the protein with regular, so use a short shape either way.
Arugula: Baby spinach if arugula is too peppery for you. Same amount.
Cucumber: Three to four mini Persian cucumbers instead of one English.
Bell peppers: Any single color works. I use three for the look.
Red wine vinegar: White wine vinegar, or balsamic if you want it sweeter and darker.
Feta: Leave it out for dairy-free, or swap in mini mozzarella balls.

Variations & How to Add More Protein:

Add chicken: One to two cups of my juicy thin-sliced chicken breast or cooked rotisserie chicken turns this into a full dinner.
Add shrimp: One pound of cooked, grilled shrimp, tails off. Or try my air fryer shrimp recipe!
Make it vegan: Skip the feta and add extra kalamata olives or sun-dried tomatoes for that salty hit.
Add chickpeas: A cup of rinsed canned chickpeas on top of the chickpea pasta for even more protein and fiber.
Add tuna: Just like my tuna pesto pasta salad, you can add a can or two of canned tuna.
Make it spicy: A pinch of crushed red pepper in the dressing. One of my readers does this and swears by it.

Close up of healthy Greek pasta salad with feta, arugula, and kalamata olives being served with wooden salad spoons.

What to Serve with Greek Pasta Salad

This works as a side dish or a light lunch on its own. When I serve it as a side, it goes with almost anything off the grill:

Chicken: Grilled boneless chicken thighs, grilled chicken, or air fryer chicken sausages.
Seafood: Everything bagel crusted salmon, crispy pesto salmon, or oven-baked shrimp skewers.
Burgers: Grilled turkey burgers, air fryer chicken burgers, or bison burgers.
Vegetarian: Crispy tofu bites or no-bean veggie burgers.

It also travels well, so it's what I bring to cookouts and potlucks.

Storage and Meal Prep

How to store it: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It meal-preps great, like my Mediterranean bean salad. Don't heat it; this is meant to be eaten cold or at room temperature.
If it looks dry around day three: Chickpea pasta keeps absorbing dressing as it sits. A splash of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon brings it right back.

Healthy Greek Pasta Salad FAQs

Is Greek pasta salad healthy?

It depends on the pasta and the dressing. This version has 15 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber per serving at 271 calories, with no mayo.

Can I use regular pasta for Greek pasta salad?

Yes. Regular or brown rice pasta both work. You'll drop to about 2 grams of protein per serving instead of 15.

What is Banza pasta?

A brand of pasta made from chickpeas. It's gluten-free with 11 grams of protein per serving, compared to 2 grams in regular pasta.

Is this Greek pasta salad gluten-free?

Yes, as written with chickpea pasta. Everything else in the salad and dressing is naturally gluten-free.

Can I make Greek pasta salad dairy-free or vegan?

Leave out the feta. Add extra Kalamata olives or sun-dried tomatoes so you don't lose that salty bite.

How long does it last in the fridge?

Up to 5 days in an airtight container. The arugula softens after the first day or two, but the salad still tastes great. Don't heat it; eat it cold.

Can you freeze pasta salad?

I don't recommend it. The cucumber and tomatoes turn watery once thawed, and the arugula won't hold up at all.

Healthy Greek pasta salad with chickpea pasta.

More Pasta Salad Recipes You'll Love

If you loved this healthy Greek pasta salad, here are a few more recipes to try next:

Did you make this recipe?

If you make this recipe, be sure to comment and rate it down below. Also, don't forget to tag me @healthfulblondie on Instagram and use the hashtag #healthfulblondie so I can see your delicious creation and share it with my followers!

📖 Recipe

Recipe tested and developed by Tati Chermayeff, creator of Healthful Blondie. A former Division I rower, Ironman triathlete, and recipe developer based in Austin, TX, Tati creates high-protein and healthy recipes that actually taste like the real thing.

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Comments

5 from 32 votes (17 ratings without comment)

Healthy Greek Pasta Salad At A Glance

Why this is my most-made pasta salad

Is Greek Pasta Salad Healthy?