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This vegan pasta salad recipe is the perfect picnic addition and quick to make as well! Only a few ingredients are needed and the taste is out of the world.
Vegan Pasta Salad Ingredients
You can honestly throw in anything you wish into pasta salad and it will (most likely) work!
Zucchini-I love zucchini. I can eat it raw, cooked, thrown in oatmeal or baked in a banana loaf bread. It also tastes divine with this vegan pasta salad recipe.
Gluten Free Pasta– Any type of pasta can be used. I’ve been trying to incorporate more gluten free recipes to share on this blog so you’ll see more GF features.
Cherry tomatoes- The best tomatoes ever! Regular Roma tomatoes can certainly be subbed but I think every human should experience cherry tomatoes at least once.
Red Onion– I used white onions (in the picture) because I had not run to the grocery store as of yet but I prefer red. Also, these should be diced very finely. Nobody wants to bit into a large chunk of raw onion.
Green Onion– Aka scallion, I put green onions into almost everything that I cook. They have a great fresh taste and up the flavour of whatever they’re added into.
Bell Peppers– Green peppers are very tasty but I personally prefer red, yellow, or orange sweet bell peppers into this vegan pasta salad recipe.
Fresh Basil– The star of the show. I truly do not think the dish would taste the same without fresh basil. Feel free to experiment with other fresh herbs such as thyme, cilantro, or parsley!
Olive Oil Vinaigrette Dressing
This dressing tastes amazing with the vegan pasta salad but also pairs well with raw salads! It is simple to make and can be done in about 3 minutes. Here’s everything you’ll need.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil– Grab the finest bottle of olive oil you can find for this recipe. Or just whatever your grocery store offers. However, a good quality olive oil will make a big difference in taste.
Nutritional yeast– Literally every vegan’s go to (or at least mine) Nooch mimics a cheesy flavor and is actually good for you! Grab a bottle for your pantry here
Apple Cider Vinegar- ACV isn’t just for adding to hot water to aid in weight loss. I love to use this when making different salad dressings. If you haven’t already, stocking up on some apple cider vinegar is a good idea.
Italian Seasoning– A pasta dish almost always calls for a hearty pinch of an Italian seasoning blend.
Red Chili Flakes– This one is totally optional but I love to add a little kick to my food and red chili flakes usually always do the trick.
Sea Salt– Any type of salt will do but I like to stick with sea or pink Himalayan due to personal reasons. You can grab some sea salt here.
Salt Free Blend– My favorite salt free seasoning blend is the original blend from Mrs. Dash. It adds so much spice and flavour to dishes without any extra salt! It’s a great alternative to those with high cholesterol and or high blood pressure.
Garlic/Onion Powder– I don’t necessarily think these need that much of an explanation. Onion and garlic powder are pretty supreme in my kitchen
How to make Vegan pasta salad
Almost everyone and their mom has their own pasta salad recipe, vegan or not. Its so awesome that this dish is so versatile and is able to be made in different ways. Here are the instructions for my personal vegan pasta salad recipe.
1. Prepare the veggies into desired size (chopped into small bit sized pieces)
2. Boil 2-3 cups of water and add in the GF Pasta (or regular). Either follow package instructions or allow to cook for less than 10 minutes. It’s important to not allow this to overcook! Once gluten free pasta is overcooked, it turns into a mushy mess.
3. While the pasta is cooking, make the olive oil vinaigrette dressing.
4. Once pasta has cooked, carefully drain the hot water. Be cautious to not burn yourself. Run the pasta under cold water and prepare to mix with veg.
5. Combine the pasta, veggies, and dressing into one large bowl and stir to incorporate all the flavours.
Serve as a side or enjoy as is!
Vegan Pasta Salad Variations
Pasta salad, plant based or not, can be made in so many different ways. That’s the one thing I love about this dish. Its extremely multifaceted and can be fit to everyone’s taste buds. Its a win win dish! Here are some delicious vegan Pasta salad add ins/variations.
Carrots
Olives
Vegan Feta
Cucumber
Parsley
Broccoli
Fruit: Peaches and apples to be specific
I hope you enjoyed this fun and easy Gluten Free Vegan pasta salad recipe! Make it for a barbecue or pack in a box and bring to work (or school).
Sharing is caring! If you enjoyed this recipe don’t hesitate to share with family and friends or save it to your Pinterest board for later on.
Want more delicious vegan lunch recipes? Be sure to check out all of the great recipes on Ital Eats and Treats Food Blog
