Description
This fresh and tangy, oil-free pasta salad is sure to be a hit at your next BBQ or potluck. You’ll need extra time to make the tofu feta but the salad itself takes just as long as it takes to cook pasta.
Ingredients
For the Pasta Salad
- 2 cups dry (170 g) rotini, fusilli, bows or penne pasta of choice
- 1 cup diced cucumber (approx. 1 cucumber)
- 1 cup sliced grape or cherry tomatoes
- 3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced in half lengthwise
- 1/2 cup packed, very finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 cup tofu feta (or more if desired, see below)
- 1/2 tsp each sea salt and pepper, or more to taste
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
For the Tofu Feta
- 1 package extra-firm tofu, pressed then crumbled
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Ideally, make the vegan feta the night before making the salad. If not, you’ll need 20 minutes to press the tofu and at least 1 hour to marinate it. To make it, place a of block of extra-firm tofu on a dish towel and fold the towel over it. Place the wrapped tofu on a plate and place a heavy object on top of it. I use a few cookbooks. You can use a tofu press if you have one. Press for 20-30 minutes to remove excess water. Once pressed, crumble the tofu into feta cheese-sized chunks into a bowl or container and add the rest of the tofu feta ingredients. Mix well, cover and marinate for 1 hour up to overnight.
- When you’re ready to make the salad, cook pasta according to package instructions.
- While the pasta is cooking, add the rest of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain and rinse with cold water until no longer hot. Add the pasta to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Add the tofu feta as well, if you haven’t already.
- Mix everything together, season with salt and pepper and serve right away. This can be made a few hours in advance and stored in the fridge. Leftovers may be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 2 days.