This spring, make one Vegetarian Pasta Salad Full of vibrant spring vegetables dressed in a light, tangy lemon vinaigrette dressing. This vegan pasta salad recipe is a fresh and delicious plan to make extra for seconds.
Nothing says spring like a vegan pasta salad. Instead of a simple creamy pasta salad, this spring pasta salad recipe is filled with vegetable pasta and dressed in an oil-free vinaigrette dressing. What I love most about this vegan pasta salad recipe is the possibility to create unique versions each time. Today my focus was on spring vegetables from the farmers market.
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We are blessed with farmers markets everywhere throughout the Arizona Valley. That means fresh, farm-to-table vegetables year-round. For example, I got the most beautiful asparagus, zucchini and summer squash today. So, I longed to make a spring pasta salad recipe for my family.
Since I love to cook, I can usually convince the kids to come over for a meal. Or, at least, that’s always the plan. There is nothing better than great vegetarian food and sharing it with family.
When considering a menu, I always think about our day plan. Today, for example, I invited the kids to barbecue and have fun at the pool. Because of that, I wanted to prepare meals in advance to enjoy time with the kids. Vegan pasta salad allows a pre-prepared dressing to marinate with vegetables and noodles. As a result, the flavor increases in the fridge.
Vegan Pasta Salad Ingredients
Whenever I create a new salad recipe, I think about texture, flavor and color. It’s important to eat a wide variety of vegetables, but eating the rainbow allows for the most nutritional value.
raw material
- Summer Squash: Summer squash is fresh and mild in flavor and texture.
- Zucchini: Zucchini has a mild flavor, slightly sweet and slightly bitter, with a rich feel.
- Green Onion: Scallions have the sharp, slightly spicy, peppery flavor that white and yellow onions produce. This makes them an excellent alternative to chopped onions in a pinch
- Red Cabbage: Although purple in color, red cabbage gives us color and a crunchy texture to vegan pasta salads.
- Red Bell Pepper: Red bell peppers are sweet and lively.
- Grape tomatoes: I love grape tomatoes because they have fewer seeds and are incredibly sweet.
- Deal: Dill is one of my favorite herbs. It adds a nice freshness to the salad.
- Parsley: Parsley adds fresh flavor to salads.
I used a serrated vegetable knife to get fancy cuts on my zucchini and summer squash.
Cooked ingredients
- Asparagus: Asparagus is earthy bitterness and a subtle sweet flavor. Old gets an asparagus spear. However, it will be less sweet and flavorful altogether.
- Peas (fresh or frozen): The peas are beautiful bright green and taste fresh and sweet. Even better, they’re full of plant-based protein (and one of the best vegetables you can eat).
Substitute vegan pasta salad ingredients
- Choose any vegetable in season with different colors and textures.
- For example, skip the summer squash and double the zucchini if ​​you can only find zucchini.
- Green beans are an excellent alternative to blanched asparagus.
- I like pickled red onions to add a touch to a vegan pasta salad recipe.
- Carrots also add color and texture to salads.
How to Cut and Blanch Asparagus
First, trim the asparagus by lining up all the spears and cutting off the ends. It is best to cut the stems just where they turn from white to green. Also called woody ends, the difference between these inedible ends and green asparagus is pretty easy to spot.
Why blanch vegetables?
Although I usually roast my asparagus, I decided to blanch it today. Blanching is a cooking process that involves scalding the asparagus in boiling water, draining it quickly, and finally plunging it into ice water or placing it under cold running water to stop the cooking process.
Blanching stops the action of enzymes that otherwise damage flavor, color, and texture. Additionally, blanching removes some surface dirt and microorganisms, brightens the color, and helps slow vitamin loss.
- Heat water to boiling.
- Cook the chopped asparagus in boiling water for 1 to 5 minutes
- Fill a large clean bowl with ice water.
- Immediately plunge the asparagus into ice water.
Because I also wanted to cook frozen peas, and the process is the same, I added the peas in the last two minutes of cooking. As a result, I save myself the step of cooking the peas separately.
Next, transfer the cooked asparagus and peas to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
For this vegan pasta salad, I chose Trader Joe’s Organic Vegetable Pasta, a tri-color pasta made with spinach, beets, red peppers, and paprika.. But any pasta works well with this recipe, including gluten-free pasta.
Assembling Vegan Pasta Salad
Once the asparagus and peas have cooled, add the cooked and raw vegetables to the cooked and cooled pasta.
Vegan Pasta Salad Dressing Ingredients
Although simple, the dressing brings a fresh and tangy taste to the salad.
- Champagne Vinegar: Champagne vinegar is made from champagne. It has a relatively mild flavor and is one of the more subtle vinegars available on the market. Champagne vinegar should have a watery consistency and be pale gold or apricot orange.
- Maple Syrup: Maple syrup provides a natural sweetener without the use of sugar.
- Lemon Juice + Zest: Lemon juice and zest give the dressing a fresh, vibrant flavor. I like to use fresh lemon juice.
- Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard gives the dressing a tanginess.
- Water: Water acts as an emulsifier like oil without using oil.
Substitute vegan pasta salad dressing ingredients
- Substitute apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar for champagne vinegar.
- Try using date syrup or agave to replace maple syrup.
- If you don’t have fresh, opt for bottled lemon juice. However, add a teaspoon of lemon juice to accommodate the lemon zest.
- Substitute Dijon mustard for stoneground round mustard in the recipe.
Recipe FAQs
The most common mistakes are undercooking or overcooking the pasta, not seasoning the pasta with salt while cooking, and not using the correct size or shape of pasta.
If a pasta salad is served hot, do not rinse the noodles. However, if serving the pasta salad cold, rinse the noodles.
The key to keeping a macaroni salad from drying out is the pasta. If you don’t cook it enough, the pasta won’t hold onto the dressing and will dry out. If you overcook the pasta, it will become completely soggy and gross. Cook the pasta just right, and your macaroni salad will be creamy.
advice
- Cut vegetables into bite-sized, uniform pieces to make it easier to eat.
- Make sure the blanched asparagus and peas are cool before adding to the pasta salad.
- Make this vegan pasta salad recipe up to a day before serving.
- Use fresh herbs if possible.
- A good ratio is 1 to 3 For example, if a recipe calls for 3 teaspoons of fresh rosemary, use 1 teaspoon of dried
- For added citrus flavor, add more lemon zest.
To make a fresh entree or side salad, you should consider a vegan pasta salad. A spring pasta salad like this is perfect for a barbecue, picnic, potluck, lunch or dinner.
If you like this vegan pasta salad recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Pasta Salad
This spring, make a vegan pasta salad full of vibrant spring vegetables in a light, tangy, oil-free vinaigrette dressing. This spring pasta salad is so fresh and delicious that your guests will be coming back for seconds.
material
Vegan Pasta Salad Ingredients
instructions
Preparing the pasta
Cook pasta according to package directions (9 minutes).
Drain the cooked pasta in a colander and then rinse with cold water to stop the pasta from cooking.
Be sure to toss the pasta in a colander and rinse again to make sure all the pasta has cooled.
Now, transfer the cooled, drained pasta to a large bowl.
Set aside.
Blanch the asparagus and cook the beans
Fill a large pot ¾ full with water and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Bring water to a boil.
Add the asparagus and stir in the water.
Cook for 2 minutes.
Now, add the frozen or fresh peas and continue cooking for an additional 2 minutes.
Drain the asparagus and peas in a colander and immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.
Then drain the water and add it to the pot with the pasta.
Add other chopped vegetables and herbs.
Make the dressing
Combine all ingredients in a small ball jar or bowl; Shake together
Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetables.
Stir to combine and refrigerate for a few hours to enhance the flavor.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Comment
- Cut vegetables into bite-sized, uniform pieces to make it easier to eat.
- Make sure the blanched asparagus and peas are cool before adding to the pasta salad.
- Make this vegan pasta salad recipe up to a day before serving.
- Use fresh herbs if possible.
- A good ratio is 1 to 3 For example, if a recipe calls for 3 teaspoons of fresh rosemary, use 1 teaspoon of dried
- For added citrus flavor, add more lemon zest.
nutrition
Worship: 12gCalories: 186kcalSugars: 38gProtein: 8gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fats: 0.3gMonounsaturated fats: 0.2gSodium: 39mgPotassium: 400mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1266IUVitamin C: 40mgCalcium: 48mgIron: 2mg
Oh! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher and vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is completely plant-based vegan. I truly believe that what we eat and how we live determines our health and the preservation of our planet! 🙂
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