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Home » Pasta » Vegan Pasta Salad

Published: Mar 24, 2022 · Modified: Jul 24, 2023 by Kelsey· This post may contain affiliate links ·

Vegan Pasta Salad

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This flavorful pasta salad is full of hearty pasta, fresh vegetables and herbs, and tossed in a homemade dressing. It's an easy recipe that takes just 20 minutes to make!

A close-up picture of pasta salad in a white bowl.

Whether you're looking for something to bring along to your next cookout or planning your weekly meals, this pasta salad is perfect for so many occasions.

This recipe is great when served with my Broccoli Crunch Salad or Veggie Sandwich.

Jump to:
  • Here's why I love this vegan pasta salad recipe
  • Ingredient Notes
  • Substitutions & Additions
  • Step by Step Instructions
  • Expert Tips
  • Serving Recommendations
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • More Salad Recipes You'll Love
  • Vegan Pasta Salad

Here's why I love this vegan pasta salad recipe

  • Not only is this pasta salad vegan, with one easy swap, it can also be gluten-free!
  • This pasta salad is packed with tons of fresh veggies, making it easy to hit your daily vegetable quota.
  • This recipe is perfect for meal prepping and great to make ahead of time as it stores well and the flavors meld and increase as time goes on.

Ingredient Notes

Labeled ingredients including: dressing, basil, onion, sun dried tomatoes, pasta, olives, tomatoes, and cucumbers.

Pasta: I prefer to use a smaller pasta like elbows in this recipe.

Olives: You can use black olives or Kalamata olives in this pasta salad.

Basil: I strongly recommend using fresh basil in this recipe for the freshest and best flavors.

Tomatoes: I used cherry tomatoes in this recipe but you can use any type of sweet tomato you love best. If it's a really juicy tomato, I recommend seeding it before adding it to your pasta salad.

Onion: This recipe calls for red onion because of the distinct flavor and beautiful pop of color.

Dressing: The homemade vinaigrette is what brings so much delicious, unique flavor to this recipe and makes this the best vegan pasta salad. If you're running behind on time, you can use a pre-made Italian vinaigrette instead.

See recipe card below for the full ingredient list and quantities.

An overhead image of pasta salad in a white bowl.

Substitutions & Additions

Make it gluten-free: This vegan pasta salad recipe can also be made gluten-free! All you'll need to do is swap out the pasta for a gluten-free option.

Swapping out vegetables: If you're not a fan of red onion, olives, etc, no worries! The dish might have a slightly different taste but you can swap out any of the vegetables from the original recipe.

If you do take one of the veggies out be sure to add another one in it's place. Or you can add double the amount of a prior ingredient. This will help keep this dish packed with nourishing ingredients and will be equally as fun and exciting to eat as the original.

Use a pre-made dressing. This recipe includes a homemade dressing for your pasta salad. If you're running short on time you can use a pre-made dressing instead.

Make Vegan Tortellini Salad: Simply swap the original pasta with a plant based tortellini instead.

Top Tip: Make this recipe at least 2 hours prior to serving it (or even better, make it the night before). The flavors in this creamy vegan pasta salad meld and get better and better after several hours. Just make sure you're storing it in a covered container in the fridge!

Step by Step Instructions

A collage of four images labeled, "step 1- step 4". Step 1 has chopped vegetables and ingredients in small white bowls. Step 2 is a white bowl filled with salad dressing. Step 3 is a large white bowl filled with cooked pasta, tomatoes, onion, olives, cucumber, basil, and dressing. Step 4 is the pasta salad mixed together in a large bowl.

Step 1: Start by boiling a large pot of water and cooking the pasta according to package instructions. Gather all of your ingredients and prep them according to the ingredient list.

Step 2: Mix together all of the ingredients for the homemade dressing and set it to the side.

Step 3: Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl.

Step 4: Toss the pasta salad until it is well mixed and fully coated in the dressing. Serve right away or store it in the fridge for later.

A bowl with sections of ingredients including tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, red onion, basil, and a small white bowl of homemade salad dressing.

Expert Tips

  • Make extra dressing: If you're making this recipe in advance I strongly encourage you to make extra dressing and storing it in a separate container. The pasta can soak up more dressing that we would like. It's easy to drizzle a little extra dressing on top before serving.
  • Use fresh ingredients: The different fresh vegetables and herbs really make this recipe "pop" and come to life. Make sure you're using extra fresh ingredients in this recipe especially if you're planning to prep it ahead of time.
  • Make it ahead of time: When you make this recipe in advance you'll allow the flavors to meld which will make it more flavorful than ever. I recommend at least 2-3 hours in advance.

Serving Recommendations

Some of my favorite occasions to enjoy this recipe:

  • Meal prepped lunch or dinner
  • Entree or side dish
  • Bring along to your next potluck
  • Serve at a BBQ or cookout
  • Pack it up and bring it along to a picnic
A pink bowl filled with a homemade pasta salad.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which pasta is vegan?

Surprisingly, most pastas are already vegan. Many pastas on the grocery store shelves don't contain egg, dairy, or any other animal-based products. Always check the ingredient label to make sure.

Does pasta need to cool before making pasta salad?

Yes, you'll want the pasta to cool off before you make your pasta salad. To expedite the cooling process you can rinse the strained pasta under cool water. Be sure to shake off any excess water.

More Salad Recipes You'll Love

  • A bowl filled with fresh broccoli, apple slices, dried cranberries, and red onion.
    Broccoli Crunch Salad
  • An overhead picture of a bowl of fresh pasta salad filled with fresh vegetables and with a bunch of basil leaves on top.
    Orzo Lemon Salad
  • A bowl filled with grains, vegetables, and olives.
    Ancient Grains Salad
  • Mixed chickpea salad in a blue bowl.
    Vegan Chickpea Salad

If you loved this recipe or any recipe on my website, please consider leaving a star rating or a comment below. I love hearing your feedback!

A veggie-filled pasta salad in a white bowl.

Vegan Pasta Salad

Kelsey Riley
This flavorful pasta salad is made with fresh vegetables, herbs, and is tossed in a homemade vinaigrette.
5 from 10 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 201 kcal

Ingredients
  

Vinaigrette

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon agave nectar vegan substitute for honey
  • 1 tablespoon tahini optional

Pasta Salad

  • ½ pound pasta
  • ½ cup cucumbers diced
  • ½ cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • ½ cup sun dried tomatoes chopped
  • ½ cup red onion diced
  • ½ cup olives
  • ¼ cup fresh basil chopped
  • ½ cup dressing

Instructions
 

  • Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Once it is fully cooked carefully drain, rinse with cool water to cool, and set it aside.
  • While the pasta cooks combine all ingredients for the homemade vinaigrette, mix well and set aside.
  • Wash then prep all remaining ingredients according to the ingredient list.
  • Combine all ingredients in a large serving bowl, drizzle the dressing on top, then gently toss until well combined and coated in the dressing.

Notes

This pasta salad is best when made in advance so the flavors have time to meld. This will make your pasta salad SO much more flavorful. Make it at least 2-3 hours in advance, or ideally the night before serving. 
Store in an airtight or covered container in the fridge for up to four days. 
If you're making this in advance I recommend doubling the dressing so you can add a little extra if the pasta salad dries out while stored in the fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 201kcalCarbohydrates: 27.4gProtein: 4gFat: 9gSodium: 123mgPotassium: 223mgFiber: 1.6gSugar: 8.3gCalcium: 22mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Tag @plantedinthekitchen or tag #plantedinthekitchen!

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About Kelsey

Planted in the Kitchen is a plant based food blog. Here you will find healthy and delicious vegan recipes!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Chasity says

    September 20, 2022 at 1:26 pm

    Hi! Very delicious. I meal prepped it for my lunces this week. I used protein chickpea pasta for extra protein.
    Is the protein amount listed above for the original recipe a typo? 183g?

    Reply
    • Planted in the Kitchen says

      September 21, 2022 at 12:46 pm

      Hi Chasity! Thank you so much for your feedback, I'm so glad that you're enjoying the recipe! Thanks for bringing that to my attention, the protein listed did have a typo and should say 18.3 rather than 183. I just fixed it in the recipe card. Thank you again 🙂

      Reply
  2. Maria says

    September 07, 2022 at 10:06 am

    Where can I find the vinaigrette recipe? I searched your website and it didn’t come up!

    Reply
    • Planted in the Kitchen says

      September 08, 2022 at 2:13 pm

      Hi Maria, thanks for checking out my recipe! The vinaigrette recipe is in the recipe card right on this page.

      Reply

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On my blog you will find delicious and easy vegan recipes. I'm a registered nurse turned blogger with a passion for plant based food.

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