A creamy, vegan pasta salad is the perfect side dish for all the summer cookouts this year.
I’ve never met a pasta salad I didn’t like, and this creamy, vegan pasta salad is my new favorite.
Roll up to all the summer cookouts with this creamy vegan pasta salad as the perfect accompaniment to your favorite plant-based burgers or hot dogs. It’s dressed in a simple, flavorful plant-based dressing with plenty of crunchy veggies and tender pasta for a flavor and texture explosion everyone will love.
How to make this vegan pasta salad
What you need
- Plant-based mayonnaise: I use Hellmann’s Plant-Based Mayo, and it was perfect in this pasta salad!
- Dressing: In addition to the mayonnaise, you’ll need vegan honey (or your sweetener of choice) along with Dijon and whole-grain mustard, distilled white vinegar, paprika, ground mustard, cayenne powder, salt, and pepper.
- Veggies: I use a mix of carrots, onion, bell pepper, and celery. You can use any ratio of veggies that you like, but try to keep to about 2 cups of diced vegetables.
- Pasta: You can use elbows for a more traditional macaroni salad, but I love Barilla’s Fusilloni! It’s such a fun shape for pasta salad. Farfalle, fusilli, or rotini would also be a great choice.
- Garnish: I finish the pasta salad with minced scallions, but you could do finely minced parsley instead.
How to make it
- Step 1: Boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water and set aside.
- Step 2: Make the dressing by whisking together plant-based mayo, plant-based honey, Dijon and whole-grain mustard, distilled white vinegar, and all the spices until smooth.
- Step 3: Add the diced veggies to the dressing.
- Step 4: Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat.
- Step 5: Finish the pasta salad with minced scallions, and you’re ready to serve it up!
Vegan Pasta Salad
A creamy, vegan pasta salad is the perfect side dish for all the summer cookouts this year.
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Servings: 6 as a side dish
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fusilloni uncooked; or use your favorite pasta shape like fusilli, rotini, or elbows
- ½ cup plant-based mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vegan honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- Pinch cayenne powder
- 2 ribs celery trimmed and small-diced
- 2 small carrots peeled and small-diced
- 1 red bell pepper trimmed, seeded, and small-diced
- ½ small yellow onion peeled and small-diced
- 2 scallions trimmed and minced
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Cook the pasta:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.
Make the dressing:
- In a large bowl, whisk together ½ cup vegan mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, 1 tablespoon vegan honey, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon ground mustard, and a pinch of cayenne powder until smooth. Taste and add a pinch of salt and pepper.
Finish the salad:
- Add the diced celery, carrots, bell pepper, and onion and stir to coat. Add the cooked pasta and stir gently to combine. Taste and season. Finish the macaroni salad with the minced scallions and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
To serve:
- Spoon the pasta salad into bowls and serve with your favorite summer cookout meal. Enjoy!
