High Protein Greek Pasta Salad (Print)
Protein-rich Mediterranean pasta salad with chicken, feta, cucumber, tomatoes, and tangy yogurt dressing. Perfect for meal prep.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 7 ounces whole wheat penne or rotini pasta
→ Protein
02 - 10.5 ounces cooked chicken breast, diced
03 - 7 ounces reduced-fat feta cheese, cubed
04 - 7 ounces plain nonfat Greek yogurt
→ Vegetables
05 - 1 large cucumber, diced
06 - 7 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
07 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
08 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
09 - 3 ounces pitted Kalamata olives, halved
→ Dressing
10 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
12 - 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
13 - 1 clove garlic, minced
14 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
16 - Fresh dill or parsley, chopped (optional)
# How To Make It:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain well, rinse under cold running water to stop cooking and prevent sticking. Transfer to a large salad bowl.
02 - Dice cooked chicken breast into bite-sized pieces. Cube feta cheese. Halve cherry tomatoes. Dice cucumber and red bell pepper. Thinly slice red onion. Halve pitted olives.
03 - Add cooked pasta, chicken, feta cheese, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, and olives to the salad bowl. Toss gently to distribute ingredients evenly.
04 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper until smooth and fully emulsified.
05 - Pour dressing over salad mixture. Fold gently to coat all ingredients without breaking pasta or cheese. Garnish with chopped fresh dill or parsley if using. Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 48 hours.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Each serving packs 32 grams of protein without any heavy protein powders or complicated prep
- The yogurt based dressing keeps everything creamy while staying light and fresh
02 -
- Rinsing pasta thoroughly with cold water is nonnegotiable, it prevents that mushy texture that ruins pasta salads
- The dressing might seem thick but will thin slightly as it coats the pasta and vegetables
03 -
- Cut your vegetables slightly larger than you think you should, they shrink when mixed with the dressing
- Use a microplane for the garlic to ensure it dissolves completely into the yogurt dressing