Light + Fresh Vegetable Vegan Pasta Salad

Nothing says summer more than a light and fresh vegan pasta salad. Am I right? This Vegan Pasta Salad is loaded with fresh veggies and the Roasted Jalapeno Tomatillo Dressing really adds a lot of flavors and a kick of spice with the jalapeno. It’s seriously the best. 

Why you’ll love this Vegan Pasta Salad: 

• It’s really easy to make & can be whipped together in under 30 minutes
• It is versatile – throw in whatever veggies are in-season or that you have on hand 
• It has a ton of nutritional value (thanks to the veggies) 
• The Roasted Jalapeno Tomatillo Dressing is seriously to die for 

What are the best veggies for pasta salad? 

The options are seriously endless when it comes to what veggies you should add to your pasta salad. With a really versatile recipe like this, you can add whatever you have in your fridge, whatever you need to use up, or whatever is in-season. 

For this recipe, I used cucumbers, radishes, tomatoes, and to add more flavor I added some fresh basil leaves, and some grapefruit slices. I love the sour but sweetness that grapefruit can add to a salad and it adds a little something different to your traditional pasta salad recipe. I also would definitely suggest adding avocado to this recipe too!

Looking for more recipes? Here are 15 Vegan Pasta Recipes you’ll love.

How do you make Vegan Pasta Salad? 

The steps to make this recipe really doesn’t get any easier than this. All you do is prep all your veggies, grapefruit if you’re using it, and fresh herbs while cooking up your pasta noodles of choice. When the pasta is done, drain it, rinse with cold water, and throw everything into a big bowl. I also like to add vegan cheddar cubes to this recipe because what’s a salad without cheese?

Next, you’ll want to prep the dressing for this recipe. To make the dressing all you do is:

1. Preheat your oven to 400F and add your tomatillos, tomatoes, onion, garlic and jalapenos to a skillet or baking dish 
2. Lather everything with 1 tbsp. of olive oil and massage each ingredient with your hands to fully coat
3. Roast the ingredients for 30 minutes, checking halfway through and flipping 
4. When done, remove from oven & let cool before transferring to a high-speed blender and adding the remaining ingredients to the blender 
5. Blend until smooth 
6. Transfer to a mason jar and cool completely before adding to your salad (or using it as a marinade)

For the full dressing recipe and list of ingredients, click here

Let’s talk about tomatillos 

For my dressing recipe, I used tomatillos. An often forgot about the fruit that I really love. Not only does it add great colour to any recipe, but it also tastes really good. Tomatillos originated in Mexico and although they resemble a small tomato in a husk, these are actually not a species of tomatoes but a different fruit all together. The skin is quite tough when eating raw, but when cooked, that’s where the real flavor comes from. They are tart, fruity, and have a slightly herbal flavor. You’ll often find these used in salsas and sauces, and in this case, my yummy dressing for this Vegan Pasta Salad.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Let me know what you think below in the comments. 

Other recipes you’ll love: 

Need more summer recipe inspo? I got you. Try one of these: 

• Vegan Soba Noodle Salad
• Plant-based Summer Moussaka
• Easy Picnic Salad Recipe
• Grilled Vegetable Wrap

Want more pasta recipes? Make sure to try my fan favourites: Vegan Spaghetti with “Meat” Sauce and Gradma’s Vegan Pasta Sauce. 

 Grandma’s Vegan Pasta Sauce
Vegan Spaghetti

Light + Fresh Vegetable Vegan Pasta Salad

★★★★★ 5 from 4 reviews

• Author: Maria Koutsogiannis
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x
• Category: Budget Friendly, Kid Friendly, 30 Minute Meals, Main Dishes, Salad and Greens
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

This light and refreshing Vegetable Vegan Pasta Salad is full of fresh vegetables and flavor with the Jalapeno Tomatillo Dressing.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

3 cups cooked pasta of choice

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

1/2 cup fresh radishes, halved

1 large cucumber, peeled and cubed

1 grapefruit, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup vegan cheddar cubes

1 avocado, cubed

3–4 tbsp. Roasted Tomatillo Dressing

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Instructions

To a large mixing bowl combine all your ingredients and gently toss.

Enjoy at a BBQ, on a picnic or as a simple and fast meal-prepped lunch!

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Notes

I suggest adding the dressing to the salad if you are making it ahead.  It adds that much more flavor and really infuses each bite with a hit of fun and deliciousness.

Keywords: basil, creamy, easy, healthy