This Greek tortellini salad is a mix of cheese tortellini, cucumbers, olives, tomatoes and feta cheese, all tossed in a garlic and herb dressing. The perfect summer side dish or meatless main course!
I love hearty salad recipes, especially in the warmer weather months. Some of my favorite salads for entertaining include orzo salad, pesto pasta salad and this fresh and colorful tortellini salad.
Pasta salad is a versatile side dish or main course that’s perfect for picnics, gatherings and potlucks. This Greek tortellini salad is a twist on the classic pasta salad and it’s totally delicious! Every time I bring it to an event it’s the first thing eaten. Serve your salad along with cilantro lime chicken, bacon wrapped pork loin or slow cooker ribs for a memorable meal.
Table of Contents
Tortellini Salad Ingredients
To make this salad, you will need cheese tortellini, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, feta cheese, fresh parsley and fresh dill. The dressing is made with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt and black pepper.
How Do You Make Tortellini Salad?
Cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling water. Drain the pasta, then rinse it under cold water. Place the tortellini in a large bowl with the vegetables, olives, feta cheese and herbs. In a small bowl, whisk together the salad dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing over the salad, and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately, or store in the fridge to enjoy later.
Tips For Tortellini Salad
- I prefer to use fresh cheese tortellini for this recipe, but frozen tortellini will also work just fine.
- I like to use English cucumbers because they’re seedless. You can use standard cucumbers as well, just make sure you remove the seeds and peel first.
- This salad can be made up to 8 hours before you plan to serve it.
- I like to mince the red onion very fine so that you don’t get large pieces of onion in each bite.
- No cherry tomatoes on hand? Grape tomatoes or diced Roma tomatoes will also work.
Quick Tip
I typically use a combination of fresh dill and parsley in this salad. Other great herbs to use include chives and basil.
Tortellini Salad Variations
You can add a variety of ingredients to your salad to make it more of a hearty meal, or just to change up the flavors a bit.
- Protein: Try adding cubed chicken, sliced salami or cooked shrimp to your salad.
- Cheese: Swap out the feta for shaved parmesan or fresh mozzarella balls.
- Veggies: You can add more veggies to the mix such as bell peppers, marinated artichoke hearts, shaved fennel or spinach leaves.
- Nuts: Pine nuts or sliced almonds add great crunch to this salad.
Recipe FAQs
You can absolutely eat tortellini cold, so long as it’s been cooked first before it’s cooled. A cold pasta salad such as this one is a great way to enjoy tortellini.
Tortellini and ravioli are very similar in terms of the ingredients in the pasta and filling. The difference lies in the shape. Ravioli are typically square and consist of two sheets of pasta dough with filling in between. Tortellini is a single piece of dough folded around the filling. Both of them will work equally well in this salad.
I typically serve tortellini salad as a side dish during the warmer weather months to accompany grilled meats and seafood such as grilled pork chops, grilled tilapia, shish kabobs or grilled flank steak.
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You can never have too many pasta salad recipes, and this one is a total winner. The tortellini add so much extra flavor over a traditional pasta salad. Serve this one up and watch the rave reviews come in!
More Salad Recipes
BLT Pasta Salad
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Greek Pasta Salad
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Cucumber Feta Salad
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Chickpea Salad with Avocado
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Spaghetti Salad
35 mins
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Tortellini Salad
Ingredients
For the salad
- 20 ounce package cheese tortellini
- 1 1/2 cups cucumber quartered and sliced
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/4 cup red onion finely diced
- 3/4 cup kalamata olives halved
- 3/4 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 1/4 cup parsley leaves chopped
- 1/4 cup dill chopped
For the dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the tortellini according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cool water.
- Remove any excess water from the tortellini, then place in a large bowl with the cucumber, tomato, red onion, olives, feta cheese, parsley and dill.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the tortellini mixture then toss to coat evenly. Serve immediately, or cover and chill for up to 8 hours.
Notes
- I prefer to use fresh cheese tortellini for this recipe, but frozen tortellini will also work just fine.
- I like to use English cucumbers because they’re seedless. You can use standard cucumbers as well, just make sure you remove the seeds and peel first.
- This salad can be made up to 8 hours before you plan to serve it.
I made this for the first time. Presents well with all the colors and textures. More importantly, it is delicious! Was asked for the recipe. I will make it again
Wow, is this delicious! Serving alongside bbq ribs, if it lasts that long. The flavors are perfect. Wouldn’t change or add a thing.
Love the fresh Greek flavors in this pasta salad! I had never considered using tortellini in a pasta salad, but it’s great!