Vegan Pasta Salad
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.
Servings: 12 servings
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
Dressing Tip: Measure the dressing in a glass measuring cup. If you’re using the bottled dressing recommended above, add the extra salt and sweetener. Otherwise, use your favorite bottled vegan dressing as-is, or adjust it to taste.
For homemade dressing, follow this recipe:
- 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
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 125kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 849mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g
