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Vegan Pasta Salad

Easy vegan pasta salad recipe with homemade olive oil dressing and fresh parsley.

Vegan pasta salad recipe – this was AMAZING! So much flavor and really easy to make. #vegan #pastasalad #vegetarian #sidedish #summer #meatless #dairyfree #healthyrecipe #veganpastasalad

If you would have told me 10 years ago that I would one day be blogging about how much I loved pasta salad, I would’ve called you crazy. The truth is that I have not always liked pasta salad.

Over the last few years I have noticed my tastebuds changing rapidly and find myself enjoying foods I once wouldn’t consider. I’ve made it a point in my adult life to keep trying new flavors and recipes to see what tastes good.

I made this vegan pasta salad recipe this week and I was in love! Fresh veggies with rotini noodles and a flavorful olive oil dressing packed full of flavor.

I was eating it straight from the mixing spoon! I can’t wait to share this delicious easy recipe with you.

How to make vegan pasta salad 

First, start cooking your rotini noodles. You will cook them to al dente, then immediately drain and rinse with cold water.

We want them to keep that great texture without getting too mushy. Rinse them well and stir around so that the cold water reaches all of the noodles. You should be able to touch the noodles without them being too hot.

Vegan cold pasta salad recipe – this was AMAZING! So much flavor and really easy to make. #vegan #pastasalad #vegetarian #sidedish #summer #meatless #dairyfree #healthyrecipe #veganpastasalad

JUST TAKE ME TO THE VEGAN PASTA SALAD RECIPE!

If you would rather skip my tips and tricks and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to this vegan pasta salad recipe – just scroll to the bottom of the page where you can find the printable recipe card with instructions, ingredients, and measurements. Enjoy!

While the rotini is cooking, chop up your fresh veggies! For my vegan pasta salad, I used sliced red onion, halved cherry tomatoes, and diced crunchy green bell pepper.

If you are into olives, those would be a good addition here too.

Vegan pasta salad recipe – this was AMAZING! So much flavor and really easy to make. #vegan #pastasalad #vegetarian #sidedish #summer #meatless #dairyfree #healthyrecipe #veganpastasalad

Next up: it’s time to make the dressing.

I used my magic bullet to blend my dressing up for ease of convenience. I just added the olive oil, fresh parsley, lemon juice, maple syrup, garlic, and onion powder and whirred it up until smooth.

If you don’t want to use a blender, you can just finely chop the parsley and mince the garlic, then mix all ingredients with a whisk.

Vegan pasta salad recipe – this was AMAZING! So much flavor and really easy to make. #vegan #pastasalad #vegetarian #sidedish #summer #meatless #dairyfree #healthyrecipe #veganpastasalad

Once your dressing is ready, stir together the cooled pasta (no need to chill it first, just rinse with cold water), dressing, and fresh veggies.

Stir well until all the pasta and veggies are coated in that yummy dressing.

Vegan cold pasta salad recipe – this was AMAZING! So much flavor and really easy to make. #vegan #pastasalad #vegetarian #sidedish #summer #meatless #dairyfree #healthyrecipe #veganpastasalad

Salt and pepper to taste. Don’t be shy! Salt brings out all of the flavors, so add it to your taste. I added enough salt until I took a bite and the flavor wowed me.

That’s when I knew it was perfect!

Vegan cold pasta salad recipe – this was AMAZING! So much flavor and really easy to make. #vegan #pastasalad #vegetarian #sidedish #summer #meatless #dairyfree #healthyrecipe #veganpastasalad

Tips for the best pasta salad 

My number one tip for the best pasta salad is to plan to make it the same day you serve it. Ideally, you won’t refrigerate the pasta salad before eating.

The reason for this is that once you put that pasta salad in the fridge, the noodles will soak up the dressing and become dry.

If served fresh, the noodles will be coated in that buttery olive oil dressing and taste heavenly.

I suggest planning to make this and serving it right away for optimal flavor!

Vegan pasta salad recipes – this was AMAZING! So much flavor and really easy to make. #vegan #pastasalad #vegetarian #sidedish #summer #meatless #dairyfree #healthyrecipe #veganpastasalad

While you can keep leftovers in the fridge, keep in mind that it’s best fresh. This would be a great recipe to make as a side dish for lunch or a potluck!

Vegan pasta salad recipes – this was AMAZING! So much flavor and really easy to make. #vegan #pastasalad #vegetarian #sidedish #summer #meatless #dairyfree #healthyrecipe #veganpastasalad

What to serve with vegan pasta salad

Here are a few recipes that would be delicious paired with this vegan pasta salad!

Vegan pasta salad recipes – this was AMAZING! So much flavor and really easy to make. #vegan #pastasalad #vegetarian #sidedish #summer #meatless #dairyfree #healthyrecipe #veganpastasalad

Are you making this recipe? I want to see! Be sure to tag me on instagram @buildyourbite and hashtag #buildyourbite

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Vegan cold pasta salad recipe – this was AMAZING! So much flavor and really easy to make. #vegan #pastasalad #vegetarian #sidedish #summer #meatless #dairyfree #healthyrecipe #veganpastasalad

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Vegan pasta salad recipe – this was AMAZING! So much flavor and really easy to make. #vegan #pastasalad #vegetarian #sidedish #summer #meatless #dairyfree #healthyrecipe #veganpastasalad

Vegan Pasta Salad Recipe

Vegan pasta salad recipe – this was AMAZING! So much flavor and really easy to make. #vegan #pastasalad #vegetarian #sidedish #summer #meatless #dairyfree #healthyrecipe #veganpastasalad

Vegan Pasta Salad

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Easy and delicious vegan pasta salad recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 lb rotini pasta
  • 1 cup sliced red onion
  • 1 large green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • ½ cup fresh parsley
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook rotini to al dente and drain immediately. Rinse with cold water until no longer hot
  2. While rotini is cooking, chop up red onion, green bell pepper, and tomatoes
  3. To make the dressing, add olive oil, parsley, lemon juice, maple syrup, garlic, and onion powder to a blender. Blend until smooth
  4. Toss pasta with vegetables and dressing, then salt and pepper to taste
  5. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  1. If you do not want to use a blender, you can chop up your parsley instead, and mince your garlic, then whisk together the remaining dressing ingredients
  2. Like most pasta salads, this recipe is best served fresh and will dry out once chilled in the fridge.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 199Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 43mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 4g

Did you make this recipe?

Be sure to tag me on instagram @buildyourbite and hashtag #buildyourbite with your recipe creations!

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Maria

Saturday 18th of August 2018

I love this! So vibrant and fresh, and perfect for lunchboxes too. Can't wait to try it out!

Joy Shull

Saturday 18th of August 2018

Thanks Maria!

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