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healthy and gluten-free greek chickpea pasta salad recipe

Greek Chickpea Pasta Salad (Gluten-Free)

This fresh, easy Greek chickpea pasta salad recipe is healthy, gluten-free, high in protein, and comes together in under 30 minutes! It's tossed in a tangy, light vinaigrette, filled with fresh veggies, and made with Banza chickpea pasta for extra protein.
5 from 30 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Serving 6 servings

Ingredients
 

Pasta Salad:

  • 8 oz dried chickpea pasta, (fusilli, farfalle bowtie, rotini, or penne), I used Banza fusilli
  • 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

Greek Dressing:

  • 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

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta. Cook according to the package until pasta is al dente. When done, strain the pasta and run it under cold water to cool it. Set it to the side.
  • Meanwhile, make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients in a small bowl or cup. Taste it and adjust the seasonings to your liking.
  • Add the cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl with the red onion, tomatoes, arugula, bell peppers, cucumber, olives, and feta cheese.
  • Pour the dressing on top and gently toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking by adding more lemon, salt, pepper, and/or olive oil, if desired.
  • For best results, place the pasta salad in the refrigerator for a least 30 minutes to marinate. If not, serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes

Cook pasta to al dente. Trust me, al dente pasta is BEST for pasta salad. I like subtracting 1 minute from the lower range of what the box says. If you overcook your pasta, it will be mushy.
Let your pasta cool completely before tossing it with the other ingredients. If it’s still warm, the hot pasta will start to cook and wilt the veggies. No one’s a fan of warm cucumber and wilted arugula, so make sure you’re tossing cold pasta into this dish.
Let pasta salad marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, if not up to 2 hours. This is KEY for the flavor. If you do not have time, you can enjoy it right away.
Use chickpea pasta. Use high-protein chickpea pasta to make this pasta salad even higher in protein. This Banaza pasta salad is so flavorful and has 15 grams of protein per serving!
Serve it with Chicken – try this classic grilled chicken, this balsamic feta stuffed chicken, or these air fryer chicken sausages.
Serve it with Burgers – It’s Summer, and pasta salad is perfectly paired with burgers. Try these grilled turkey burgers (keto), these air fryer chicken burgers, these cilantro lime chicken burgers, or these vegetarian no-bean veggie burgers.
Storing: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. DO NOT heat it; enjoy pasta salad cold.

Nutrition

Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 642mg | Potassium: 302mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1757IU | Vitamin C: 85mg | Calcium: 163mg | Iron: 5mg
Course Dinner, Lunch, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Greek, Healthy, Mediterranean
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Please leave a comment and star rating on this post and tag @HealthfulBlondie on Instagram & hashtag it #healthfulblondie!