This Summer Tortellini Salad with Garlic Herb Dressing comes together in no time at all and is packed with tons of fresh summer flavors! The tortellini makes this salad filling and the arugula and cherry tomatoes offer a bright freshness. Enjoy this easy summer tortellini salad for lunch or bring to a potluck to share!
Summer Tortellini Salad Recipe Ingredients
- Tortellini – I just use cheese tortellini for this recipe. I like to use the store-bought tortellini that can be found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. It’s fresh and only takes a couple of minutes to cook. You can also usually find cheese tortellini in the dried pasta section.
- Chickpeas – I like to add chickpeas to my salads for a little extra protein and I like to taste and texture. You could also use white beans.
- Tomatoes – I used cherry tomatoes because it’s cherry tomato season and I finally have some growing in my garden! Cherry tomatoes are sweet and summery, but any kind of tomato can be used. Just make sure to dice it inso small pieces if using a larger tomato.
- Arugula – I used a mixture of arugula and baby spinach for this tortellini salad. Arugula has a nice peppery bite that I love. You can use any kind of greens you prefer though.
- Red Onion – If you know me, you know that red onion is a must for most of my pasta salad recipes! You can substitute shallot if you want something a little bit milder in flavor.
- Capers – The capers are optional, but add a nice vinegary bite that goes well with the cheesy tortellini.
- Dressing – The dressing is a homemade garlic and herb dressing. It’s made using olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, fresh herbs, dijon mustard, maple syrup, garlic, salt and pepper.
How To Make Summer Tortellini Salad
- Heat a large pot of water until boiling. Add in your tortellini and cook according to package directions. Once tortellini is finished cooking, drain and allow to cool until ready to use.
- Make your dressing. Add all dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until a smooth dressing is formed, about 30-60 seconds or so. Set dressing aside until ready to use.
- To a large bowl, add in your cooled tortellini, chickpeas, arugula, tomatoes, red onion and capers. Next, pour the dressing over the pasta salad and mix everything together until fully combined. Season with extra salt and pepper, if needed.
- Tortellini salad can be served immediately or refrigerated until ready to enjoy.
Tortellini Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Can this recipe be made gluten free? It can easily be made gluten free if you are able to find some gluten free tortellini. If you can’t find any, you could just use regular gluten free pasta and then add in some tiny mozzarella balls. It would give you a very similar taste!
- Where can I buy vegan tortellini? You can probably find it at a grocery store like Whole Foods, or somewhere that has a lot of vegan options.
- Can this tortellini salad be made ahead of time? Yes, it can be made ahead of time. The only thing to watch out for is that the arugula may wilt a little if it’s in the refrigerator for more than 1 or 2 days.
- How long will leftovers last in the refrigerator? If stored in an air-tight container, leftovers should last about 4 days, or so. The arugula might get a little wilted, but everything else should be fine.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below and I will get back to you ASAP!
Looking For More Vegetarian Summer Salad Recipes?
Lemon Broccoli Pasta Salad with Feta
Zucchini Chickpea Quinoa Salad
Broccoli Blueberry Salad with Chickpeas
Loaded Black Bean Salad
Macaroni Coleslaw Salad
Summer Tortellini Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Summer Tortellini Salad with Garlic Herb Dressing comes together in no time at all and is packed with tons of fresh summer flavors! The tortellini makes this salad filling and the arugula and cherry tomatoes offer a bright freshness. Enjoy this easy summer tortellini salad for lunch or bring to a potluck to share!
- 1 (15 oz) package cheese tortellini
- 3 cups baby arugula or baby spinach
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 12 oz (1 pint) cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1/2 medium sized red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup capers, drained
Garlic Herb Dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup chopped fresh herbs, I used a mixture of parsley and cilantro
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- 1–2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Heat a large pot of water until boiling. Add in your tortellini and cook according to package directions. Once tortellini is finished cooking, drain and allow to cool until ready to use.
- Make your vinaigrette. Add all vinaigrette ingredients to a blender and blend until a smooth dressing is formed, about 30 seconds or so. Set dressing aside until ready to use.
- To a large bowl, add in your cooled tortellini, chickpeas, arugula, tomatoes, red onion and capers. Next, pour the vinaigrette over the pasta salad and mix everything together until fully combined. Season with extra salt and pepper, if needed.
- Tortellini salad can be served immediately or refrigerated until ready to enjoy.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Lunch, Vegetarian
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Summer Tortellini Salad
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