Vegan pasta salad
Vegan pasta salad is a terrific cold side dish for potlucks, picnics, and cookouts. It includes plenty of crunchy raw vegetables, along with pasta in a creamy mayo dressing. Make it a meal by adding sliced or diced vegan deli slices, seitan chicken, chickpeas, and/or non-dairy cheddar.
Servings: 10 people
Calories: 335kcal
Ingredients
- 16 ounces fusilli pasta gluten-free, if needed
- Generous pinch of salt plus more to taste
- 1 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- Dash of pepper
- 4 carrots thinly sliced
- 4 Persian cucumbers thinly sliced
- 16 radishes thinly sliced
- 1 cup chopped bell pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions, along with a generous pinch of salt. Once the pasta is al dente, drain, and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- In a bowl, combine vegan mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, non-dairy milk, dried parsley, dried basil, granulated onion, minced garlic, a pinch of salt, and dash of pepper.
- Put drained fusilli pasta into a large mixing bowl. Add sliced carrots, Persian cucumbers, radishes, and chopped bell pepper.
- Pour mayo dressing over the pasta and vegetables. Use a spoon to get everything evenly combined. Taste for salt, and add more if necessary. If you'd like a tangier pasta salad, add another splash of apple cider vinegar.
- The pasta salad can be eaten right away. Or for best results, move it to a covered container & refrigerate for several hours. The vegetables will soften & flavors will meld over time.
Notes
Any short pasta will work in this recipe. Fusilli can be replaced with penne, rotini, farfalle, or shell pasta.
If you'd prefer, you can use fresh parsley & basil instead of dried. Replace 1 teaspoon of dried herbs with 1 Tablespoon of freshly chopped.
Persian cucumbers are skinnier & shorter than the garden variety. (They're usually just 5 or 6 inches long.) If you're swapping them out for standard cucumbers, keep that in mind and use less.
Pasta salad improves over a few hours as the flavors meld & vegetables soften. I recommend making it several hours or a day before serving. Although, it can be eaten right away.
If you’re making it ahead of time, you can add ⅔ of the dressing right away, and then add the remaining ⅓ just before serving. Since the pasta will absorb some of the dressing, it will leave you with a saucier & more flavorful pasta salad.
Pasta salad will last for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator in a covered container. I do not recommend freezing it.
Nutrition
Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 271mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 4580IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
