Greek Pasta Salad with Chickpeas
All the delicious flavours of Greek Salad, tossed with pasta and marinated chickpeas for an easy grab and go lunch or side dish.
Why You’ll Love This Greek Pasta Salad
Looking for a refreshing, make-ahead salad that doesn’t skimp on flavour? This Greek Pasta Salad with Chickpeas will be your new go-to. Packed with crunchy veg, tangy feta, and a zesty Greek inspired dressing with oregano, it is a complete meal that works beautifully for lunchboxes, picnics, or a quick weeknight dinner.
Bonus: It is vegetarian, budget-friendly, and holds up well in the fridge for a few days.
Ingredients
Full ingredients list with quantities is included in the recipe card below. These are some helpful notes about the main ingredients including some swaps and substitutes where applicable.
- Pasta – it wouldn’t be a pasta salad without it. I like Conchiglie (pasta shells) for this salad, as the dressing, small chopped veggies and chickpeas all get nicely nestled into the shells for a satisfying bite. Most short pasta shapes work well in pasta salad, so use your favourite.
- Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans – Canned or jarred for ease. Since they are a focal point of the salad, I recommend using the best quality you can reasonably afford.
- Cucumber, bell pepper, red onion and cherry tomatoes – make up the bulk of the salad. These can be chopped and changed as you see fit.
- Olives – can be omitted. I prefer green olives but black also work well (Kalamata olives are traditional for Greek Salad).
- Feta Cheese – Or Greek style salad cheese.
- Fresh Herbs – For garnish. I love parsley, but mint and dill also work well.
For the dressing:
- Olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Oregano
- Dijon Mustard
- Honey
- Salt and Pepper
Swaps and Add-Ins
- Make it vegan: Swap feta for a dairy-free alternative or omit entirely. Capers can give an added tang in place of feta if you need a plant-based substitute.
- Add protein: Add grilled chicken, prawns, or tuna if you’re not vegetarian.
- Swap chickpeas: Use butter beans or cannellini instead.
- Meal prep tip: Greek pasta salad actually tastes better the next day, once the flavours have melded together.
How to Serve
- As a prep-ahead, grab and go lunch or dinner.
- With warmed pittas or flatbreads and hummus on the side.
- With grilled meats or fish at a BBQ.
- As part of a mezze spread with hummus, tzatziki, and stuffed vine leaves.
Got Leftovers?
Keep in the Fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Best served at room temperature.
Dressing tip: If making ahead, reserve a little extra dressing to stir through before serving to freshen it up.
More Easy Pasta Salads:
- Cucumber and Tomato Pasta Salad
- Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad
- Mediterranean Tuna Pasta Salad
- Chicken and Courgette Pasta Salad
I hope you like this recipe as much as I do!
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Greek Pasta Salad with Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 250 grams shells or other short pasta fusilli, penne or farfalle work well
- 1 400g can (14oz can) chickpeas or garbanzo drained and rinsed
- 1 bell pepper
- ½ a cucumber
- 100 grams (⅔ cups) cherry tomatoes
- ½ a red onion
- 100 grams (½ cups) feta cheese
- ½ cup olives
- Fresh parsley chopped, to garnish
For the Dressing:
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp Red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Meanwhile, prepare the dressing by combining the ingredients in a large bowl and whisking to combine. Add the chickpeas and stir well, then leave them to marinade in the dressing for 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Chop the pepper and cucumber into small, bite sized pieces and thinly slice the red onion. Crumble or dice the feta cheese. Halve or quarter the cherry tomatoes and olives to your preference.
- Combine everything in the large bowl and toss well to coat. Sprinkle in some fresh chopped parsley and serve at room temperature.
