Greek Broccoli Pasta Salad with crisp fresh veggies, perfectly cooked pasta, plenty of feta and a delicious Greek vinaigrette to pull it all together!
Delicious Greek Broccoli Pasta Salad
A fresh pasta salad filled with plenty of veggies, crumbled feta, and a tasty vinaigrette? COUNT ME IN!
This healthy Greek broccoli pasta salad is made with fresh, crunchy broccoli, chickpeas, feta, and a delicious vinaigrette to really bring it to life.
The best part? You likely already have most of the ingredients you need to make this recipe already in your pantry and fridge. You can easily make this recipe gluten free or dairy free if needed. It’s the perfect pasta salad to serve with your favorite protein or enjoy all on its own!
Ingredients for Pasta Salad with Broccoli
Pasta: Pick a pasta that has lots of nooks and crannies so that the Greek vinaigrette can really stick to it. If you need to keep this recipe gluten free, use your favorite gluten free pasta!
Broccoli Florets: fresh and crunchy broccoli broccoli florets give this pasta salad the best texture. The hearty texture of broccoli works so well with the dressing in this pasta salad!
Chickpeas: to make this pasta salad even more hearty (and delicious!) we’re adding in a can of chickpeas!
Veggies: This pasta salad uses a combination of fresh veggies including romaine, cucumber, and tomatoes.
Olives: Olives give the pasta salad a delicious briny tang. I like to use pre-pitted olives to keep things easy.
Feta Cheese: creamy, salty, and a little tangy this is the perfect cheese for this pasta salad.
Fresh Dill: last but not least, plenty of chopped fresh dill for the best flavor!
How to Make The Best Greek Dressing
(full list off ingredients in the recipe card, below)
- olive oil
- red wine vinegar
- lemon juice
- honey
- minced garlic
- dijon mustard
- dried oregano
Once you have all of the ingredients, just add them to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
How to Make This Broccoli Pasta Salad Recipe
(full instructions in the recipe card, below)
Step One: Cook the dry pasta according to the package instructions. Once al dente, drain and rinse the pasta with cold water.
Step Two: Add the pasta, broccoli florets, chickpeas, green bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, olives, red onion, cucumber, feta cheese, and fresh dill to a large mixing bowl.
Step Three: Next, make the dressing. Add all of the dressing ingredients to a high powered blender or food processor and blend until well combined.
Step Four: Pour the dressing over the salad and stir until well combined.
Step Five: Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tips for the Perfect Pasta Salad
- Don’t over cook your pasta. Cook the pasta al dente so that it still has a bit of bite.
- Drain and rinse the pasta under cool water to remove any excess starch before adding it to your mixing bowl.
- Salt your water while cooking the pasta to ensure that it has plenty of flavor.
- Dice the red onion well. That way you don’t end up with huge pieces of onion in your salad.
- Don’t skip mincing the garlic when making the dressing. When you mince the garlic before adding it to your food processor or blender, it blends more evenly into the dressing.
- Feel free to get creative and add other veggies you love. Artichoke hearts would also be great in this salad!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best store bought dressing pasta salad?
Don’t have time to make your own dressing? You can use a bottle of your favorite Greek salad dressing instead!
Do You Cook Broccoli for Pasta Salad?
Nope! there’s no need to cook the broccoli for this pasta salad. It’s completely ok to eat the broccoli raw.
What to Serve with Your Pasta Salad?
I love to pair this pasta salad with a protein, like chicken, fish, or beef to make a heartier meal.
This is also a great side dish to take to your next potluck or barbecue. If you need to make a bigger batch to feed more people, just double the recipe!
Is it Better to Make Pasta Salad the Day Before?
If you would like, you can definitely make this pasta salad a day in advance! To keep the pasta salad fresh, store it in an air-tight container in the fridge. It will last for two to three days in the fridge.
How Do You Keep Pasta Salad Moist?
If you find your pasta salad to dry out a bit after storing, just make a little extra dressing and pour it on before serving.
How to Store
Store this pasta salad in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
More Delicious Recipes
Italian Pasta Salad
BLT Pasta Salad
Greek Pasta Salad
Chipotle Potato Salad
Grilled Shrimp and Orzo Salad
Broccoli Salad
Watermelon Feta Salad
I hope you give this Greek Broccoli Pasta Salad a try! It’s delicious and so easy to make!
If you do give this recipe a try, I want to know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love.
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Ingredients
- 2 cups dry gluten free pasta (rotini)
- 8 oz broccoli florets, chopped
- 1/2 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
- 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup sliced Kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 1/2 cup diced cucumber
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
Dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
Method
- Cook the dry pasta according to the package instructions. Once al dente, drain and rinse the pasta with cold water.
- Add the pasta, broccoli florets, chickpeas, green bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, olives, red onion, cucumber, feta cheese, and fresh dill to a large mixing bowl.
- Next, make the dressing. Add all of the dressing ingredients to a high powered blender or food processor and blend until well combined.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and stir until well combined.
- Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Keywords: broccoli pasta salad, pasta salad with broccoli, broccoli pasta salad recipe
Recipe by: Ashlea Carver / All the Healthy Things | Photography by: THE MINDFUL HAPA
Leave a comment
So yummy! I made it yesterday for a family picnic and doubled the recipe. I loved that I could just hit the 2x button and I didn’t have to do the math. And we had some leftovers today with tuna in it and it was the perfect easy lunch. Such a great recipe!
★★★★★
Could literally eat this every day!! Taste amazing, easy to whip up and really refreshing!
★★★★★
This recipe was great! Very flavorful and fresh! It’s in my rotation for sure!! Don’t forget to make a bit extra dressing for next day salad!
★★★★★
Loved the salad. I have never thought about putting broccoli in a pasta salad, but it definitely added a nice touch. I cannot wait to try the other options on the website!
★★★★★
Made for lunch today and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. I did not have cherry tomatoes so I used sundried in olive oil, and I think it was even a better choice. Thank you for another great recipe!