Lunchtime Chickpea Tortellini Salad
User Reviews
5
Lunchtime Chickpea Tortellini Salad
Description
This salad starts by wilting baby spinach with hot cooked tortellini, helping to soften the greens slightly without overcooking. Roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, and drained chickpeas are added for texture and contrasting flavors. The key element is the lemon feta dressing where fresh lemon juice, white wine vinegar, herbs like parsley and chives, lemon zest, honey, crushed garlic, salt, and black pepper are emulsified with olive oil and finished with crumbled feta cheese.
The dressing’s bright acidity and creaminess from feta balance the rich pasta and hearty chickpeas. This salad can be served immediately or chilled to allow flavors to meld. It keeps well refrigerated for up to three days, making it practical for make-ahead lunches or light dinners. The ingredients and dressing together provide a tangy, fresh contrast and protein boost without heaviness.
Ingredients
- 1 pound tortellini pasta any filling works (I like cheese or spinach tortellini
- 5 ounces spinach fresh baby
- 1 roasted red peppers 14 ounce jar; drained and chopped
- 1 artichoke hearts 14 ounce jar; drained and chopped
- 1 chickpeas 15 ounce can, drained and rinsed
lemon feta dressing
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons herbs like parsley and chives, fresh, chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 garlic minced, clove
- salt kosher salt
- black pepper kosher salt
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup feta cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Place the baby spinach in a large bowl.
- Boil the tortellini in boiling salted water according to the package instructions. Once drained, dump it on top of the spinach in the bowl and let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes. This will help the spinach to wilt. Toss it with a few drizzles of the dressing so the tortellini doesn’t stick together.
- Add the roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts and chickpeas. Drizzle with more dressing and toss everything together well. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if you find it necessary.
- Either serve now or stick it in the fridge to prepare meals! This lasts well in the fridge for 3 days if you’re prepping it ahead of time. The spinach will continue to wilt more as it sits.
lemon feta dressing
- Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, herbs, lemon zest, honey, garlic and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Stir in the feta cheese. This can be made a day ahead of time!
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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