Veggie-Packed Pasta Salad with Creamy Feta Dressing
This refreshing and flavorful pasta salad is great for a light lunch or a perfect side dish. It is packed with nutrients from the tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese, parsley, and lemon. This recipe is easy to follow and can be customized to your liking. Use any type of pasta that you like, and you can add or remove ingredients to suit your taste.
Equipment
- 1 Stovetop
- 1 Blender or food processor
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Medium pot for cooking pasta
- 1 sharp knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Measuring cups and spoons
- 1 Serving platter optional
- 1 Serving spoon optional
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons Crumbled feta softened to room temp
- ¼ cup Red wine vinegar
- 3 teaspoons Honey or 100% maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 Lemon zest, and juice
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Black pepper
- ¾ cup Extra virgin olive oil
Salad:
- 1 cup Pearl couscous
- ¼ cup Red onion finely diced
- 1 English cucumber finely diced
- 1 pint Cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 4 oz Feta cheese crumbled or small cubes
- ½ cup Parsley finely chopped
- ½ cup Silvered almonds optional
Instructions
- To a large mixing bowl, add the feta, dijon, vinegar, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Mix until vinegar and dijon are combined. Slowly add in the olive oil while whisking until the dressing has emulsified. Set aside.
- To a medium-sized pot with a tight-fitting lid, add 1 ¼ cup water and 1 teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil. Add the couscous. Reduce to a light simmer and place the lid tightly on the pot. Let cook for 8 minutes. Remove from the heat. Let stand for two minutes.
- At the same time, the couscous is cooking, prep the remaining ingredients for the pasta salad.
- Add the hot couscous to the dressing and mix. Let stand for 15 minutes to cool.
- Add the remaining salad ingredients, toss and chill for 1 hour.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!