Feta Avocado Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 1 block feta cheese (approx. 7-8 oz; reserve some for crumbling on top and some brine for the sauce)
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 avocado (pitted and peeled)
• 4 garlic (cloves)
• 1 handful cilantro (koriander) (fresh)
• lime juice (juiced)
• Greek seasoning (to taste)
• olive oil (drizzle for the sauce and for frying chicken)
• 500 g pasta (cooked weight; reserve some pasta water)
• 1 chicken breast (large breast)
• 0.5 purple onion (red onion)
• 0.5 cucumber
• 0.5 red bell pepper
• 1 handful cherry tomatoes

Steps

1. 1

   Place 1/2 block of feta, Greek yogurt, avocado, garlic cloves, cilantro, lime juice, Greek seasoning, and a drizzle of oil into a blender.

2. 2

   Blend all the sauce ingredients together until smooth, adding splashes of the liquid from the feta container (or plain water) as needed to reach your desired consistency. Set aside.

3. 3

   Cook your choice of pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve a small amount of pasta water, then drain and set aside.

4. 4

   Cut the chicken breast in half horizontally to create thinner cutlets and season with salt, pepper, or Greek seasoning.

5. 5

   Heat an oiled pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and fry for a few minutes on each side until fully cooked through.

6. 6

   Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing into bite-sized pieces.

7. 7

   Cut the purple onion, cucumber, and red pepper into small cubes. Halve the cherry tomatoes.

8. 8

   In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, diced vegetables, and sliced chicken.

9. 9

   Pour the prepared sauce over the salad components. Add a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to help the sauce bind to the pasta. Mix together well until everything is evenly coated.

10. 10

    Serve the pasta salad with extra crumbled feta cheese on top.

Notes

Using the water from the feta container (brine) adds extra salt and flavor to the sauce, so additional salt may not be necessary. If using plain water, you may need to increase the seasoning. Reserving a little pasta water helps bind the creamy sauce to the noodles.

Nutrition per serving

• main dish
• pasta salad
• healthy fats
• high protein
• meal prep
• summer
• lunch