Last week about this time I posted a recipe for vegan feta cheese. This was long overdue, because feta was always my favorite cheese! But I didn’t eat my feta plain (when anyone was watching at least). Most of the time my feta went into a big old Greek salad. So I decided to share a vegan Greek salad recipe as well, but with a twist! Because I can never resist the temptation to put a twist on my already twisted vegan versions of dishes. Greek orzo salad it is! Now, if you’re a little annoyed that I didn’t post a classic Greek salad recipe, just swap out the pasta for an appropriate amount of romaine lettuce. Or, go halfsies and use a mix of pasta and lettuce. But I have a few reasons for loving this salad with orzo. First off, this is excellent summer potluck material. It’s vegan, so some of the guests are the cookout are probably going to be a little nervous about trying it. And the feta cheese is made from tofu, so maybe actually lots of people will be scared to try it.
But then again, it has pasta. Everyone loves pasta. If there’s one way to warm folks up to vegan fare, it’s pasta. Or chocolate. But chocolate in Greek salad would be wrong. So pasta. Also, you can make a meal out of this. I, personally, can only make a meal out of a regular Greek salad when there’s bread involved. (I’m all about my carbs.) But this stuff is totally capable of being a self-contained meal. And it’s summer, which means it’s hot and many of us don’t feel like cooking most of the time. But you can make a big batch of this, stick it in the fridge, literally do nothing but dish some out, and you’ve got lunch or a light dinner ready to eat. The dressing is a super simple Greek vinaigrette made with red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic and oregano. Make that first so the flavors have time to mingle! Cook your pasta and let it cool, then add all the usual Greek salad accoutrements: red onion, cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, cucumber and fresh parsley. And of course your tofu feta.
Dress, toss and enjoy!
Tips for Making Amazing Vegan Greek Orzo Salad
If you’re not into orzo, feel free to substitute your favorite small pasta shape. This salad will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. If you want to cut down on the fat/oil content of the dressing, try swapping half of the olive oil with water. I like to drizzle a bit of the tofu feta’s marinade into my salad for extra flavor.
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