Greek Pasta Salad with Tofu Feta
Bursting with flavors and a rainbow of colors, pasta salad is great for potlucks, picnics and packed lunches. Perfect for hot days when you don’t want to turn on the oven, this recipe can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for 2-3 days. Tofu feta is a sneaky way to incorporate some probiotics into your meal; the miso paste and apple cider vinegar really bring it to life!
Tofu Feta Ingredients:
2 tbsp mild white miso paste
juice of one lemon
¼ cup raw apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp water
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
freshly ground pepper and/or red pepper flakes, optional
1 package extra-firm organic tofu, pressed*
Directions:
In a mixing bowl or container combine all the ingredients, except the tofu. Whisk until smooth. Cut the tofu into small cubes, ¼ - ½ inch in size. Gently toss the tofu into the marinade, using a spoon to prevent it from crumbling too much. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to give it a sharp feta taste. Give it a good stir prior to using. Tofu Feta can be made ahead and stored for up to 5 days in the fridge.
*For the BEST feta texture, I recommend pressing the tofu for at least 4 hours. I know, life doesn’t always happen that way. One hour will be okay; 4 hours will be AMAZING. Trust me. If you don’t have a fancy press, wrap the block in a clean kitchen towel, place it on a plate, put a cutting board on top and then the heaviest thing you can find on top of that: a cast iron pan, a 5 lb bag of potatoes, flour etc.
Pasta Salad Ingredients:
8 oz pasta of your choice (any shape you like, whole wheat, gluten-free, lentil, bean or quinoa -go wild!)
1 cucumber, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 green pepper, diced
1 small zucchini, minced
½ cup red onion, sliced or minced
½ cup Kalamata or black olives, sliced
½ cup fresh parsley or basil leaves, minced
2 tbsp maple syrup
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried basil
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions, or to desired texture. Drain, rinse and refrigerate to cool for one hour or more. This can be done a day or two in advance for easy assembly later on, and is a great way to use up leftover pasta.
Combine all the chopped veggies and cooled, cooked pasta in a large mixing bowl. In a measuring cup or small bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients to make a vinaigrette dressing. Pour it all over the pasta and veggie mix and toss it really well to combine. Then add in the Tofu Feta and stir one last time to evenly distribute. Refrigerate, covered for 2-3 days. Garnish with fresh parsley and cracked black pepper before serving.
Tofu Feta inspired by the beautiful Green Evi