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This Greek Pasta Salad recipe is the ultimate fresh and vibrant side dish for your next summer potluck or easy weeknight dinner! Made with tender orzo pasta, briny Kalamata olives, salty feta cheese, and crisp vegetables, it is a Mediterranean-inspired explosion of flavor. Unlike heavy mayo-based salads, this one uses a zesty homemade red wine vinaigrette that makes it light, healthy, and incredibly refreshing.
This easy Greek pasta salad yields 8–10 servings and features orzo pasta tossed with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, Kalamata olives, and feta cheese. It is dressed in a homemade red wine vinaigrette made with olive oil, Dijon mustard, and honey. This is a vegetarian-friendly option that can be prepared in 20 minutes and is ideal for summer potlucks.
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!
The secret to the best orzo pasta salad is the texture. While many recipes use larger pasta shapes, using orzo (a small, rice-shaped pasta) allows the dressing to coat every single surface, ensuring you get a punch of flavor in every bite. Combined with my signature from-scratch Greek dressing, this salad holds up beautifully in the fridge, making it the perfect make-ahead meal that actually tastes better the next day.
Ingredients in Greek Pasta Salad
- Orzo Pasta is a small pasta resembles that rice, but it’s pasta. I like how it makes the salad so simple. Many recipes use rotini or bowtie pasta, but orzo won’t get soggy after the salad sits like regular pasta does.
- To prevent your pasta salad from becoming mushy, it is critical to cook the orzo only to al dente. Because the pasta will continue to absorb the acidity and moisture from the vinaigrette as it sits, starting with a slightly firm “bite” ensures the salad maintains its structure and doesn’t become soggy by the time you serve it.
- Romaine lettuce is best but you could also use spring mix or a combination of spinach and iceberg lettuce.
- For a salad that stays crisp for days, always use an English (or hothouse) cucumber rather than a standard garden cucumber. English cucumbers have much thinner skins and significantly fewer seeds, which means they release far less water into the salad, preventing the dressing from becoming diluted and the vegetables from getting limp.
- Grape Tomatoes, Red Onion, and Kalamata Olives are all classic Greek salad ingredients. You could also use cherry tomatoes or chopped fresh tomatoes or add green bell pepper. I love using English cucumber but Persian cucumbers work too.
- Garbanzo Beans are also called chickpeas – this is a classic Greek salad ingredient and they add texture.
- Feta Cheese goes on top the salad and also in the dressing – giving delicious flavor.
- To make the simple dressing, add the fresh garlic, oil, and feta, red vinegar, and spices to a mason jar. Seal and shake to emulsify the dressing. The feta turns it into a creamy dressing without adding mayo.
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Expert Tips + Variations
- Add some chicken in if you’d like – you can use rotisserie chicken or shredded chicken that’s leftover.
- Use any pasta shape you like, but we like the small orzo. Make sure to use al dente pasta so it doesn’t get soggy.
- Cook the pasta as directed on the package and drain, then cool. I like to add it to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and cool it faster.
- Swap out black olives or green olives if you want. You can also add kidney beans for a texture mix-up.
- I love sliced raw onions in this orzo salad, but you can omit if they’re too strong for you.
Greek Pasta Salad Recipe
Recipe Video
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.
Recipe Nutrition
FAQs
Yes! This salad is actually best when made at least 2 hours in advance to let the flavors meld. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
If you don’t have orzo, you can use other small pasta shapes like ditalini or even quinoa for a gluten-free option.
While you can use a store-bought Greek vinaigrette, the homemade version with red wine vinegar and Dijon mustard provides a much brighter and more authentic flavor.
After draining your cooked orzo, rinse it briefly with cold water to stop the cooking process and remove excess starch before tossing it with a splash of olive oil.
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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