Vegan Mediterranean Pasta Salad (With Tofu Feta!)

This Vegan Mediterranean Pasta Salad is a fresh and flavorful pasta salad made with Mediterranean-inspired ingredients like cucumber, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, chickpeas, and tofu feta. It’s tossed in a zesty Italian dressing and is perfect for easy summer lunches, meal prep, or potlucks!

Inspiration for Vegan Mediterranean Pasta Salad

After how much I loved my Lemon Basil Orzo Salad last summer, I knew I wanted to make another pasta salad recipe this year with a different flavor profile. This Vegan Mediterranean Pasta Salad is inspired by classic Mediterranean flavors like cucumber, olives, red onion, and feta, all tossed together with my Oil-Free Zesty Italian Dressing for a fresh and flavorful summer dish.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Fresh, bright, and full of flavor from ingredients like kalamata olives, cucumber, parsley, and zesty Italian dressing.
• A satisfying high protein vegan option thanks to the combination of chickpeas and tofu feta!
• Great for meal prep since the flavors get even better after sitting in the fridge.
• Perfect for summer lunches, potlucks, BBQs, or an easy side dish throughout the week.

Key Ingredients in Mediterranean Pasta Salad

• Pasta: any short pasta like rotini, penne, or fusilli works best to hold onto the dressing.
• Italian dressing: brings everything together with tangy, herby flavor.
• Tofu feta: Adds creamy, salty richness and makes this pasta salad extra hearty and satisfying.
• Cherry tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, and olives: These are largely inspired by Greek salads! Together they add fresh but sharp flavors.
• Chickpeas: adds plant based protein to make this pasta salad more filling.
• Parsley and scallions: for one more pop of fresh herby flavor.

How to Make Vegan Mediterranean Pasta Salad

This one is pretty much a matter of throwing things together! We love that.

1. Prepare your tofu feta, Italian dressing, and veggies
2. Cook your pasta
3. Throw everything together in a bowl!

Tips & Tricks

• This easy vegan pasta salad can be enjoyed right away, but the flavors get even better after a little time in the fridge. Store leftovers in an airtight container for a few hours for best results, or up to a few days. If making the pasta salad more than an hour or two ahead of time, I recommend storing the vegan feta separately and adding it just before serving for the best texture.
• For more refreshing summer recipes, check out my Lemon Basil Orzo Salad and my Vegetable Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce next!
• To use up more of that tofu feta, check out my Strawberry Apple Cider Salad or my Peach Blueberry Salad!

Substitutions & Variations

• Use any store-bought vegan feta or a store-bought vegan Italian dressing if you are short on time.
• To pack in even more mediterranean-inspired flavors toss in some artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, or capers.
• Switch up the pasta! You can use whatever pasta you prefer - whole wheat, gluten free, whatever suits your needs! Farafalle and rotini are my personal favorite shapes for this one.
• For a different herby flavor, replace the parsley with fresh dill.

Frequently Asked Questions

Enjoy!

📖 Recipe

Vegan Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Delaney Marie

This Mediterranean Pasta Salad is the perfect refreshing meal for these hotter months! It's got lots of nutrients packed in from the veggies, and tons of flavor from our Marinated Tofu Feta and Oil-Free Zesty Italian Dressing. This one can be saved as leftovers, but I personally think it's best after just an hour or two in the fridge. Enjoy!

*Note that From Start to Finish is an estimate, but that only about 35 minutes of hands-on time are expected. The Marinated Tofu Feta includes a lot of passive time (waiting for your tofu to press, then waiting for it to marinate). Therefore, this estimate assumes that your Marinated Tofu Feta will be marinating WHILE you prepare the rest of your ingredients and complete the recipe directions. Also note that this estimate does not include extra time at the end to let your pasta salad chill in the fridge.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review

From Start to Finish1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings6 servings

Ingredients

• ▢ 8 oz pasta of choice
• ▢ ½ cup cherry tomatoes - quartered
• ▢ ¼ cup kalamata olives - quartered
• ▢ ½ small red onion - diced
• ▢ ½ medium cucumber - sliced and quartered
• ▢ 3 stalks scallions - thinly chopped
• ▢ ¼ cup parsley - roughly chopped
• ▢ ⅔ cup chickpeas - drained and rinsed
• ▢ ⅓ - ½ cup Joyful Balance Oil-Free Zesty Italian Dressing - (or you can use store-bought Italian dressing)
• ▢ Half a recipe of Joyful Balance Marinated Tofu Feta - (or you can use store-bought vegan feta)

Instructions

• Cook pasta according to package directions. When it’s done cooking, drain it and let it sit in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the salad.
• Combine your cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, red onion, cucumber, scallions, parsley, and chickpeas in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
• Add your pasta to the rest of the salad ingredients and mix to combine (if your pasta is still very hot, allow it to cool in the fridge a bit longer. It doesn't have to be super cold, but we don't want it so hot that it could wilt the veggies). Pour in your Italian dressing and toss in your tofu feta. Mix to combine again, ensuring that all your salad components are evenly coated. (The tofu feta is a little bit crumbly, so adding it in last is ideal so that it doesn't crumble too much while being mixed!)
• Serve right away, or set your pasta salad in the fridge for an hour before serving for a stronger flavor. Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe?Mention @joyfulbalanceofficial on Instagram and show the world your plant based creation!

Happy cooking! If you made this recipe don’t forget to tag me (@joyfulbalanceofficial) on facebook or instagram so I can cheer you on for your pasta-salad-making ways.

Stay joyfully balanced!