This vegan pasta salad is easy to make and ready in 30 minutes. It's filled with fresh veggies, kidney beans, and a delicious Italian dressing. This recipe is a must for picnics, parties, and summer gatherings.
This is one of my favorite summer side salads.
It pairs well with so many vegan dishes like burgers, carrot dogs, sandwiches, lemon tofu, kababs, or anything else you can grill up.
And it’s always a party hit.
What makes this recipe so quick and easy is the bottled Italian dressing. I love Newman's Own light Italian dressing for this pasta salad. It has the right amount of zest and with a little added sweetener it becomes the perfect Italian dressing.
Ingredients You'll Need
You’ll need the 8 ingredients below plus dressing.
As I mentioned above, my go-to is Newman's Own light Italian dressing (affiliate link) which I add a bit of salt and agave nectar to. If you can find it, give it a try.
Otherwise, use your favorite bottled vinegar dressing (Italian, balsamic, red wine, etc) or try the homemade vinaigrette in the recipe notes.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
The pasta and any of the veggies can be swapped out with what you have on hand. See the FAQs below for some suggestions.
- Tri-color pasta – I went with a tri-color rotini. The tight spirals trap the dressing giving plenty of flavor to each bite. Any short pasta can be used instead, such as bowtie pasta, penne pasta, or elbow macaroni.
- Kidney beans – The kidney beans add protein to this vegan pasta salad. Feel free to swap them out for any beans you like.
- Grape tomatoes – These add some color and a fresh burst of flavor. You can use cherry tomatoes or leave them out if you're not a fan.
- Red onion – Use red onion for the best taste.
- Pepperoncini peppers – I love the mild spiciness and tangy flavor these peppers bring to the salad. I always add them, but they are optional.
- Bell pepper – I went with an orange bell pepper for its crispiness, sweetness, and vibrant color.
- Olives – These compliment the dish with their rich salty flavor.
- Fresh parsley – It adds a fresh savory herb flavor to this side salad.
- Italian dressing – Use my go-to bottled dressing or your favorite dressing. Go with Italian, balsamic, or red wine.
If you prefer to make it from scratch, try my homemade vinaigrette in the recipe notes.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Start by cooking the pasta according to the package. Salt the water after adding the pasta.
While the pasta cooks, chop the veggies and drain and rinse the beans.
Then, follow these 3 easy steps.
Step 1: Add the cooked pasta, beans, and chopped veggies to a large bowl.
Step 2: Measure out the dressing. Then, pour it over the ingredients.
Step 3: Toss the salad to combine. Chill for at least 30 minutes before enjoying.
How to Store Vegan Pasta Salad
Cover the bowl with an airtight lid, or plastic wrap, then store this cold salad in the refrigerator. It will keep in there for up to 5 days. Stir before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is customizable to the ingredients you have on hand. Feel free to swap out any veggies or add a few more into your pasta salad. Some ideas are:
carrots
celery
broccoli
zucchini
English cucumber
green onions
vegan mozzarella cheese
vegan pepperoni
white beans
marinated tofu
For the best results, cook the pasta to al dente and don’t rinse it. The extra starch creates a coating that helps the dressing bind to the pasta. This also keeps it from becoming soggy.
Helpful Tips
- Make-ahead: This is a great recipe to make in advance for parties, potlucks, picnics, and more. Prepare the salad a day ahead and store it in the fridge until you’re ready. Stir again just before serving.
- Cooking the pasta: Cook until al-dente. Drain but DO NOT rinse.
- Salt the pasta water: I add a few good pinches of salt (about 2 teaspoons) to the water after adding the pasta.
- Cutting the veggies: Cut them into bite-sized pieces.
Hearty Vegan Salads
We'd love to hear from you!
If you enjoyed this vegan recipe, please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card and share your thoughts in the comments below.
Also, if you snap a photo, share it with us! We love to see your creations!! You can find us on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.
See ya there!
Recipe
Vegan Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 12-ounce tri-color rotini pasta
- 1 15-ounce can of black olives, sliced
- 1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium orange bell pepper, chopped
- ⅓ cup sliced red onion
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 6-8 Peperoncini, sliced (optional)
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
Dressing
- 1 cup Newman’s Own light Italian dressing, or any store-bought vinaigrette (see notes for a homemade recipe)
- 2-3 Tablespoons agave nectar, or to taste (optional)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt, or to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Pasta: Cook the pasta using the instructions on the package. Drain, but don’t rinse. Set aside to cool down.
- Veggies: While the pasta cooks chop the veggies.
- Toss: Add the pasta and veggies to a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to evenly coat.
- Chill: Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or until ready to enjoy. Stir before serving.
Notes
- ½ cup vegetable oil (If you’d like to use olive oil, only replace up to ¼ cup of the vegetable oil)
- 4 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar, or red wine vinegar
- 1-2 Tablespoons agave nectar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅓ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- black pepper to taste
Nutrition
**Nutritional info is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients I used and for convenience and as a courtesy only.**
Vegan Recipes You May Enjoy
Where You Get Your Protein is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Where You Get Your Protein will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.
Anonymous
This was delicious!
Karly
Uh, YUM! Love that you used that balsamic instead of the normal Italian or creamy dressing. Fight the dressing power, you! Looks delicious!