Treat yourself the BEST Vegan Pasta Salad! This delicious recipe is loaded with fresh veggies and herbs, and it has tons of flavor ... perfect for any summer get together, lazy lunches and dinners, and even meal prep!
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It's officially Pasta Salad Season! I love any and all varieties of the yummy dish, and I'm so excited to share one of my favorite recipes with you today.
You are going to love this bright, summery Vegan Pasta Salad recipe! It's loaded with fresh veggies, fragrant herbs, protein-rich chickpeas, tangy olives, and the tastiest (and easiest) lemon dressing.
Best of all, it's incredibly easy to make, completely customizable, and a real crowd pleaser, too! Serve it for all your summer parties, picnics, laidback lunches and dinners, or make it for meal prep (it keeps great).
Ready to dig into this Cold Pasta Salad? Keep reading for all the delicious details, plus tons of helpful tips!
Ingredients
This recipe uses basic ingredients you can find in any store. Here's what you'll need:
- Pasta - Choose a short pasta for this recipe. I used rotini, a pasta salad classic, but other short pastas shapes (like fusilli or farfalle) will also work great.
- Veggies - This recipe calls for a delicious and healthy mixture of grape tomatoes (cherry tomatoes work, too), bell peppers, and red onions. Feel free to use your favorite veggies though, or whatever needs to be used up from your refrigerator.
- Chickpeas - A can of chickpeas (AKA garbanzo beans) adds extra protein, flavor, and texture. Swap in another firm bean (such as butter beans), if you prefer, or leave them out for a veggie only salad.
- Herbs - Fresh herbs give this recipe a wonderful flavor boost! I used a summery combo of dill and basil, but other herbs can be used, too.
- Olives - Kalamata olives add a delightfully briny element to the Pasta Salad, as well as a salty contrast to all the fresh flavors. Swap in other olives if you'd like (like black or Castelvetrano), or leave them out if you're not a fan.
- Dressing - The salad uses a super simple Lemon Olive Oil Dressing that's ready in minutes, but you can customize the recipe with your fave dressing, if you prefer (almost anything works).
This plant based recipe is a naturally vegan, vegetarian, and dairy free dish that will appeal to everyone at your table! If you'd like to make it gluten free, simply use GF pasta (just keep in mind that it often comes in smaller boxes ... you need 16 ounces / 453 grams total).
Dressing
This salad is made with my favorite Lemon Dressing, which has bright, sunny flavor you'll love. You only need two ingredients (plus salt and pepper) to make this tangy vinaigrette, and it's ready in under five minutes! However you can easily substitute other salad dressings, pesto, and more ... check out the Variations section below for ideas.
You'll Also Need
To make this recipe, you need a large pot or dutch oven to cook the pasta (I used my trusty Calphalon Dutch Oven), a small bowl / jar for the dressing (mason jars work great for this), knife and cutting board to prep the veggies / other ingredients, and a large bowl to mix everything together.
How to Make Vegan Pasta Salad
This easy Pasta Salad couldn't be simpler to prepare! You'll find a detailed recipe card below, but here's an overview of the steps:
- Cook the pasta. Start by cooking the pasta in well-salted water. Once the pasta is tender, drain it, then rinse well with cold water. Rinsing removes excess starch, which keeps the noodles from sticking together, and it stops the cooking process, which keeps your salad from becoming soggy. Tip: Avoid undercooking the noodles, because pasta firms up as it cools.
- Make the dressing. While the pasta cooks, make the Lemon Vinaigrette. Whisk together the together fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl or shake the ingredients together in a jar. Make sure to taste the dressing, then add more salt if needed. Tip: Because most of the seasoning in this recipe comes from the dressing, it should taste well salted.
- Prep the other ingredients. Once the dressing is done, chop the veggies, olives, and herbs. To take the bite out of the sliced onion, transfer it to a colander, then rinse it under cold water. Tip: After washing the vegetables, pat them dry before chopping them. Any excess liquid will water down the salad's flavors.
- Mix everything together. Make sure the pasta is well drained, then add it to a big bowl, along with the veggies, olives, herbs, and dressing. Mix well, then taste. You can adjust the seasoning by adding more salt, lemon, or fresh herbs. Tip: This recipe has lots of fresh flavors and benefits from being well-salted. You can tell if it needs more salt, by sprinkling a few granules of salt onto a bite before tasting it. If it tastes better with the extra salt added, add more salt to the whole recipe.
And that's all there is to it ... time to enjoy your amazing Vegan Pasta Salad! Just one bite, and this quick and easy recipe is sure to become a summer favorite.
Variations
This Veggie Pasta Salad has a wonderful Italian / Mediterranean flavor that's super easy to customize. Add your favorite ingredients, or clean out your fridge and pantry! Here are some ideas to inspire you:
- Veggies - This recipe uses a tasty combo of grape tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions, but you can use many other vegetables for Pasta Salad, too. Try fresh zucchini, summer squash, corn, peas, carrots, asparagus, green onions, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes or chopped tomatoes, and more. Lightly cooked broccoli, green beans, and eggplant would be tasty, too. Roasted Vegetables, marinated veg (like artichokes hearts or okra), and Grilled Veggies are another option.
- Herbs - Customize the recipe by using your fave fresh herbs, like basil, dill, chives, flat-leaf parsley, tarragon, cilantro, mint, and more!
- Beans - I used garbanzo beans for this salad, but other beans (such as white beans, butter beans, kidney beans, edamame, and others) can be substituted. Just make sure to use firm beans that will not become mushy as you mix the ingredients together.
- Olives + More - Kalamata olives add tons of flavor here, but other types (such as Castelvetrano) will also work. Other tangy ingredients, like capers or garlic would be delish, too.
- Dressing - The salad dressing is one area where you can easily change up this recipe's flavor profile! Swap out the Lemon Dressing used here for another vinaigrette (store bought or homemade), such as Red Wine Vinaigrette, Maple Vinaigrette, or Greek or Italian dressing. Other sauces, such as Pesto or even Romesco Sauce, can be used as well.
- Pasta - Different short pasta shapes can be substituted for the rotini, like fusilli, farfalle, and elbow macaroni. Cavatappi and Fusilli Corti Bucati are two of my favorites ... they're both similar to rotini, but a little more special! You could even use swap in vegan tortellini.
- Warm or Cold - Pasta salad is typically eaten cold. However, you can also serve it warm. If you'd like to do that, start the dressing and the veggies first. Then marinate the vegetables in the dressing while you cook the pasta (this will soften them up a bit). Cook the pasta, then rinse it under warm well. Drain well, then mix everything together and season to taste.
Serving Suggestions
This easy Vegan Cold Pasta Salad makes a wonderful summer lunch or dinner, and the only thing you have to cook is the pasta! It keeps well (leftovers are super tasty), and it's great for meal prep, too.
Of course, this recipe is also the perfect crowd pleaser for parties, cook outs, picnics, and other summer occasions! Serve it with all your favorite summer dishes, like Red Potato Salad, Veggie Burgers, Grilled Vegetables, Tex Mex Sweet Potato Salad, Vegan Pigs in a Blanket, Veggie Spring Rolls, or this simple Garden Salad. Then add a few drinks (try this Iced Green Tea with Coconut Water) and some easy apps (like the BEST Guacamole or this refreshing Watermelon Salsa), and you have yourself a party!
Storage
If you have leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container, then refrigerate. The Pasta Salad will stay fresh for up to four days.
This recipe can also be prepared in advance, although the noodles do tend to absorb the dressing. If you make it ahead of time for an event, I'd recommend preparing the recipe as indicated, but setting aside about a quarter of the dressing (or make extra). Then just before serving, toss the recipe with the remaining dressing and adjust seasoning (if needed).
Related Recipes
Looking for similar ideas? Try one of these scrumptious recipes next:
- Southwest Pasta Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Greek Tortellini Salad
- Asian Noodle Salad
- Kale Pasta Salad
Tip: You can make simple swaps, like leaving out the cheese, using vegan tortellini, and substituting non-dairy alternatives, to make all of these Vegetarian Pasta Salad recipes vegan!
Vegan Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For Pasta Salad:
- 1 pound (454 grams) rotini pasta (or other short pasta)
- 1 (15.5 ounce / 425 grams) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 pint (551 milliliters) grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 large bell pepper, chopped
- ½ large red onion, thinly sliced and rinsed under cold water
- ¼ cup halved kalamata olives
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced fresh basil
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
For Dressing:
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper (or to taste)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender.
- Drain pasta in colander, then rinse with cold water until cool.
- While pasta cooks, prepare dressing by whisking together olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl (or shake ingredients together in a small jar). Taste, then add more salt and pepper, if needed (it should be well seasoned).
- When pasta is ready, transfer it to a large bowl, then add chickpeas, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, olives, basil, and dill. Pour dressing over top, then mix well.
- Taste pasta salad, then add more salt or pepper, if needed.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
