I love cucumbers. They are wonderful, tasty vegetables that work so well in salads, usually doing a great job playing a “supporting” role. Well, I happened to have lots of cucumbers in my fridge that were going a little soft, so I needed to come up with a recipe where cucumber would be one of the main ingredients, and where I could use (read: not waste) lots of cucumbers all at once and prepare a salad unlike any other I usually make with cucumbers! I wanted something unusual (if you can actually be “unusual” and “creative” with cucumbers) and delicious! After using the word “cucumber” in my vocabulary way too many times and, in general, spending too much time thinking about them, I finally made this recipe that you see on the photos: a Greek Tortellini Salad with Avocados and Cucumbers in a creamy Greek Salad Dressing. Oh, my deliciousness, this salad is so good – you won’t be able to stop eating it until you run out of cucumbers!
It became my new favorite lunch to pack for work, because this salad is amazingly refreshing, delicious, creamy (thanks to all the feta cheese and avocados), flavorful, and healthy! It also keeps well and is easy to make.
MY OTHER VIDEOSI usually do not use the whole amount of dressing listed in the recipe: I add just enough (usually half of the dressing) to the salad to coat the veggies, and save the rest for another batch. This salad is light, healthy, and vegetarian. It’s also full of fiber and healthy dietary fats (we’re talking about avocados and extra virgin olive oil). What’s not to like? And did I already tell you it’s so delicious I kept eating it for lunch for a week and only stopped when I ran out of cucumbers? So addictive! And, I just love how green it looks!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (or 2 tablespoons each balsamic and red wine vinegar)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (or more, to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
- 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt (optional)
- 2 large cucumbers, sliced thinly
- 3 avocados, peeled, cored, and cubed
- 1 package tortellini (7 oz)
- 1 cup feta cheese
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar(s), black pepper, salt, and sugar. Add a tablespoon of Greek yogurt for a little creaminess
- Cook tortellini according to package instructions, drain and let them cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked tortellini, sliced cucumber, cubed avocados, feta cheese. Add just enough of the dressing to the salad to coat and toss (start with adding half the amount of dressing). Don't add all the salad dressing at once. Cover and chill for a couple of hours or refrigerate overnight. Also chill (or refrigerate) the remaining dressing. Before serving, let the salad (and the remaining dressing) sit at room temperature for some time because olive oil in the dressing would've have solidified in the refrigerator - let it liquify. Add more of the reserved dressing to the salad, if necessary.
I’m curious … don’t the avocados turn brown? I think I would be tempted to combine everything except the avocados to marinate, and then add the avocado right before serving.
This has all my favorite ingredients – cucumbers and avocados are tops for me! The dressing sounds fab too!
Love all that green in there. Avocado, pasta, feta…men, that sounds so good…
ela h.
Looks good!
such a refreshing salad! it’s a meal in itself!
Cucumber is one of the best summer foods, isn’t it? I love its juicy and refreshing flavor. Although I’ve made several salads with cucumber, never thought of making something like this. This salad sounds like a wonderful summer meal. I think I will be making it often this summer.
Yet another delicious salad, Julia! I’ve never been quite so disappointed not having cucumbers in my fridge! I must try this soon!
Lunch, dinner a bowl for snacking, what an exceptional salad! The vivid colors are evocative of summer on a plate!
This is the green divine! Love the combination of avocado and cucumbers! Perfect meal for a hot summer day!
This is a great all-in-one meal!