A salad that is full of flavor and incredibly simple to make.

Using the tangy feta marinade as the dressing makes this dish even easier, and the addition of the Chickapea noodles to the salad make it hardy and add a variety of nutrients. This healthy recipe is vegan, nut-free, and gluten-free making it a pasta salad you can feel good about making.

Greek Noodle Salad

• Prep Time:  15 minutes
• Cook Time 25 minutes
• Total Time:  40 minutes
• Course: Lunch
• Cuisine: Greek
• Servings:  4

Vegan Feta Boiling Ingredients:

• 200g firm tofu, cubed
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ tsp table salt
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 5 cloves of garlic, crushed
• ¼ cup kalamata olive brine

Vegan Feta Marinade and Dressing Ingredients:

• Boiled tofu
• Reserved crushed garlic from boiling mixture
• ¼ cup avocado oil
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp oregano
• 2 tsp kalamata olive brine
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp flaked sea salt
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ tsp maple syrup
• 3 Tbsp kalamata olives, minced

Noodle Salad Ingredients:

• 1 Package Chickapea Shells
• 2 Tbsp salt
• 1–2 tsp oil
• 1 head of lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried
• ½ cup Kalamata olives, whole and pitted
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, whole
• ¼ cup peeled cucumber, chopped
• ½ cup red onion
• ¼ cup pepperoncini peppers, chopped*

 Vegan Feta Boiling Instructions:

1. Drain the tofu and press it with clean towels to remove excess moisture
2. Cut the tofu into “feta” shaped cubes
3. Place cubed tofu in a medium sized pot
4. Add all listed ingredients for boiling the tofu into the pot
5. Heat the mixture over medium/ high heat to a boil
6. Once a boil is reached, reduce the temperature to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring regularly to keep the tofu in the liquid
7. Drain the mixture in a sieve, reserving the tofu and crushed garlic
8. Add the Tofu and crushed garlic to the bottom of a sealable jar

Vegan Feta Marinade and Dressing Instructions:

1. In a small bowl mix together the marinade by combining avocado oil, lemon juice, oregano, kalamata olive juice, garlic powder, flaked sea salt, red wine vinegar, maple syrup and minced kalamata olives
2. Pour the marinade over the jar of boiled tofu and garlic and stir to combine
3. Seal the jar and place it in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes, turning the tofu over occasionally to ensure it remains coated

Noodle Salad Instructions:

1. Prepare Chickapea shells to package specifications, (heat 16 cups of water in a large pot over high heat until boiling. Add pasta and 2 Tbsp of salt to the water, decrease heat to maintain a gentle boil. Stir and cook pasta for 7 minutes)
2. Drain Pasta and rinse with warm water
3. Drizzle pasta with a bit of oil and toss to coat
4. Fill a large salad bowl with the lettuce
5. Transfer the pasta to the salad bowl
6. Top the salad with tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, pepperoncini peppers, kalamata olives
7. When the tofu has finished marinating, mix it into the salad
8. Use the marinade liquid as the Greek salad dressing adding desired amount to the salad
9. Gently toss all ingredients together using two wooden spoons
10. Serve as a side or in larger portions as a meal
11. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes:

• For the olive brine, use the liquid the kalamata olives are packaged in. Don’t press olives to obtain juice
• Unused tofu “feta” should be stored in the marinade in the fridge
• Tofu “feta’ can be made ahead and will be more flavorful the longer it marinates
• Tofu “feta” can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days
• The dressing can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for 1 week
• Pepperoncini peppers are spicy pickled pepper and optional in this salad. If a milder flavor is preferred omit the peppers