Description
Warm summer months call for Creamy Vegan Picnic Pasta Salad! Gluten-free al dente pasta, crunchy and colorful veggies, and a creamy vegan sauce make this an allergy-friendly spin on the traditional picnic favorite.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 12 ounces short cut pasta (gluten-free if desired)
- 1 batch vegan cashew cream (or use homemade vegan sour cream for a bit more tang); learn How (and Why!) to Soak Cashews in this post!
- 2.5 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
- 1.5 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup mixed fresh herbs (such as dill, Italian parsley, tarragon, basil, chives)
- 2 green onions, ends removed, diced
- 2 bell peppers (red, yellow and/or orange), stem and seeds removed, diced
- 1/2 large red onion, diced
Optional Additional Veggies
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup celery ribs, finely diced
- 1/4 cup pitted olives
- 1/4 cup peeled and diced English cucumber
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions (I like to add 1/2 tablespoon fine salt to the cooking water for best results). Strain and rinse the cooked pasta with cold water. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together cashew cream (or vegan sour cream if using) and vinegar, maple syrup and salt. Add herbs and whisk again.
- Add all the vegetables (green onions, bell peppers, onions and any other vegetables desired) to the mixing bowl with the combined sauce. Stir well to fully coat all the vegetables evenly. If you add more than two additional vegetables you might want to increase the sauce slightly.
- Add the cooked pasta to the mixing bowl and toss well to combine and evenly coat the pasta with the veggies and sauce. Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to five days.
Notes
I love to use Andean Dreams quinoa pasta which is gluten-free and provides protein in this dish making it a complete meal. Jovial brown rice gluten-free pasta works really well here too.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Side Dish
Keywords: vegan pasta salad