Greek Tortellini Salad

Greek Tortellini Salad is loaded with cheese tortellini, salty feta, crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, red onions, and olives—all tossed in a flavorful Greek vinaigrette.

Pair Greek Tortellini Salad with grilled Greek chicken or meatballs. For a low-carb option, try Greek quinoa salad instead.

Greek Tortellini Salad

A good pasta salad is always a hit during the summer, especially when brought to a cookout or potluck! But adding tortellini in place of the pasta takes it to the next level.

Greek Pasta Salad is a popular recipe on the site, so I swapped a few ingredients and replaced the pasta with tortellini to create this fun twist on a classic. The tortellini completely change the salad, making it more savory and a lot more cheesy. 

Greek Tortellini Salad Dressing

• Olive oil: Use a good olive oil for better flavor—it really makes a difference.
• Red wine vinegar: No red wine vinegar? Use white wine vinegar, plus a splash of balsamic for depth.
• Lemon juice: Roll the lemon on the counter before juicing—it’ll give you more juice.
• Honey: Lightly coat your spoon with oil first—honey will slide right off.
• Dijon mustard: Shake well before using Dijon—it tends to separate in the jar.
• Minced garlic: Let the dressing sit for 5–10 minutes before serving so the garlic can mellow out.
• Dried oregano: Rub the oregano between your fingers before adding—it brings out more flavor.
• Salt and pepper: Added to taste preference!

Quick Tips

• Pick a tortellini you like: Fresh, frozen, or the kind from the shelf all work. If you’re not sure which to get, try one of these recommended ones (linked here and here).
• Take the edge off red onion: If raw onion tastes too strong, soak it in salty ice water for 10 minutes. Then drain it well.
• Salt the water: Cold salad can taste a little dull if under-seasoned. Add about 1 tsp salt for every 4 cups of water when cooking the tortellini, and don’t be afraid to add a little more salt at the end if needed.
• Don’t overcook the tortellini: Cook it just until tender (check the package). If it’s too soft, it’ll fall apart in the salad.
• Use Persian or English cucumbers: These have tiny seeds, thin skin you don’t need to peel, and a nice crunch.

Variations:

• Add a creamy element, such as a ripe avocado. Since avocados don’t hold up well in the salad, if you use them, add them to individual plates right before serving. 
• Make it a Greek Chicken Tortellini Salad. Add in some diced grilled chicken (rotisserie chicken, Greek-seasoned-and-cooked chicken, or use this delicious chicken marinade).
• Swap black olives for Kalamata olives if that’s what you have on hand.
• Add roasted red pepper: Roasted red peppers would make a great complement to the other veggies in this salad. You can buy jars of roasted red peppers at the store; they are usually near things like pickles, capers, and artichoke hearts. Alternatively, a raw red or green pepper would be a great addition.

How Long Will Greek Tortellini Salad last?

More salad recipes

• Broccoli Salad with a creamy dressing
• Chicken Salad with pecans and dried cranberries
• Italian Pasta Salad with an Italian-inspired vinaigrette
• Turkey Taco Salad with a creamy cilantro dressing
• Potato Salad with a creamy mayo-based dressing

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Greek Tortellini Salad

By Chelsea Lords

Greek Tortellini Salad is a flavor-packed mix of feta, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onions, and Kalamata olives, all tossed with tender cheese tortellini and a zesty Greek vinaigrette. Delicious and refreshing!

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Chilling Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 6 as a side dish

Equipment

• Wide-mouth Mason Jar or other sealable container

Ingredients

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USMetric

Salad

• ▢ 1 (16-ounce) package cheese-filled tortellini fresh or frozen
• ▢ 1/2 cup red onion diced
• ▢ 1 cup Persian cucumbers or English cucumber, cut into half moons
• ▢ 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
• ▢ 3/4 cup kalamata olives halved or thinly sliced
• ▢ 1/3 cup feta cheese crumbled
• ▢ 3 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley optional

Dressing

• ▢ 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 lemon
• ▢ 1-1/2 tablespoons honey
• ▢ 1-1/2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoons minced garlic
• ▢ 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ▢ 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions 

• Combine all dressing ingredients in a mason jar. Juice lemon to get 1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice and add to the jar. Shake thoroughly to combine, making sure no honey or Dijon sticks to the bottom. Use a spoon to stir, then shake again if needed. Store dressing in the fridge until ready to use. To serve, shake dressing again right before adding to the salad and drizzle over salad.
• Prepare tortellini according to package directions. Make sure to generously salt the water (I add 1 teaspoon to every 4 cups of water). Don’t forget to salt the pasta water or the whole salad will taste under-seasoned. Drain, rinse under cold water, and toss with 2 tablespoons of the prepared dressing. Set aside in the fridge to chill.
• Prepare the veggies: dice the red onion, cut the cucumbers into half moons, halve the cherry tomatoes, halve or slice the olives, crumble or cut the feta cheese into chunks.
• Toss together the completely cooled tortellini with all the veggies and add some chopped fresh parsley, if desired. Drizzle on the dressing to your preference; you may not want to use it all (I love dressing, so I use all of it on this salad!). Toss to combine and add the feta cheese. Toss again gently. Taste and adjust to preference, adding any additional salt/pepper as needed.
• Cover tightly and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Toss once more, serve, and enjoy!

Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.

Recipe Notes

Storage: I prefer this salad the same day it’s made, as the onion and olive flavors get stronger the longer it sits. The dressing also begins to break down the tortellini.

You can refrigerate the ingredients separately in meal prep containers (veggies, tortellini, feta cheese, and dressing) and dress the bowls individually at mealtime. This way, this Greek tortellini Salad will last 4–5 days in the fridge. You can find more meal-prepping tips in this recipe for Greek Couscous Salad.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 383kcal | Carbohydrates: 44.4g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 18.3g | Cholesterol: 39.2mg | Sodium: 496.6mg | Fiber: 2.6g | Sugar: 7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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