Growing up, I was a super picky eater. I was one of those kids whose food couldn’t touch any other food on the plate. (I know, I know, I was awful. Mom, if you’re reading this – thank you for putting up with me as a kid!! I love you!!). In fact, when I became a vegetarian at the age of 14, my mom all but gave up trying to cook for me… but it was this culinary independence that spurred my love for cooking. And now, at the age of 22, I’ll pile ten different foods into a dinner bowl (touching!!) with the best of them. But even after so many years, I haven’t entirely shaken my food idiosyncrasies. For example, I don’t like to eat cold food that’s meant to be hot. Cold pizza? No way. Lukewarm soup? Get outta here. But for some reason, the one hot thing I can tolerate cold is pasta salad.
The tricky thing about most pasta salads, though, is that they can get unsafe to eat if left unrefrigerated for extended periods of time.This is because most traditional pasta salad recipes call for mayo, which is egg-based. Mayo + heat = bad for you. Not ideal if you’re trying to bring a dish to a cookout. Fortunately, this pasta salad is 100% dairy-free, with a tangy, mouthwatering dressing that may be the most delicious thing I’ve ever made. It’s just perfect – a heavenly combination of grainy mustard, nutty almond milk, tangy spring onions, and tart lemon juice. Just writing about it right now is making my mouth water!!
I come from a family that is decidedly not vegetarian, so I was a bit nervous bringing this pasta salad to our Memorial Day Weekend cookout. To give you a better idea – my dad doesn’t consider a meal to be a meal unless there’s half a cow on the table. And as I gingerly placed my bowl full of orecchiette, tomatoes, green beans, chopped kale, and mustard vinaigrette on the picnic table, I couldn’t help but feel that my little pasta salad was terribly out of place amidst plates and plates of grilled meat. But I shouldn’t have been worried – it was a huge hit, even with my dad! In fact, my mom even texted me days later to tell me how much she loved it!
I hope you enjoy this pasta salad as much as I have – it was crafted with love!
The Best Vegan Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
- 1 lb pasta I used orecchiette
- 1 1/2 Cups Cherry Tomatoes halved
- 1 1/2 Cups Haricots Verts (Green Beans) chopped into small pieces
- 1 Cup Finely Chopped Kale
Mustard Vinaigrette
- 6-8 Spring Onions using the white + light green parts
- Juice from 1/2 Lemon or more to taste
- 4 Tbs Unsweetened Almond Milk or any unsweetened plant milk
- 2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Tbs Water
- 4 Tsp Dijon Mustard
- Salt + Pepper
Instructions
Mustard Vinaigrette
- From the spring onions, take the white bulb + 1/2 inch above bulb, where it starts to turn light green. Roughly chop, and combine with all other ingredients in a high-speed blender. Mix until the vinaigrette has a smooth, creamy consistency.
Pasta Salad
- Cook pasta according to directions. When finished cooking, drain and set aside to cool.
- Chop tomatoes and haricots verts, mixing 1 1/2 cups each with pasta once it has cooled.
- Finely chop kale, and combine 1 cup with pasta salad.
- When pasta and veggies are mixed, drizzle generously with vinaigrette.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Here's more detailed instructions about the green onion - cut off the tip of the bottom (where the white part is) and cut again where the onion turns darker green. Chop up, then blend in the sauce!
- Use at least 1/4 tsp salt for the sauce, and feel free to add more if you like a more salty sauce.
Song of the Day:
Blind to the Blues – Ola Podrida
38 Comments
dorota @ plants on the plate
June 12, 2015 at 6:05 amhello! this is such a beautiful salad – and your photos are great! it looks like an amazing meal to have on a hot summer day. I can’t get hold of kale anymore – but there are other greens. I know that wonderful feeling of feeding your family and them being content! also, i love that spoon/utensil. Have a good day Sarah! :)
WellAndFull
June 12, 2015 at 2:52 pmThank you Dorota! :) The kale can be substituted for any hardy green!
Sara @ Cake Over Steak
July 2, 2015 at 12:56 pmI Love this!! It sounds totally amazing. I used to think pasta salads were kinda weird … and I think it was the cold factor for me. Also, I don’t love mayo-based dressings. The thought of this pasta salad with a mustard vinaigrette seems so refreshing. And my aunt just gave me a box of that same shape of pasta, so it just seems meant to be!!! Lovely photos, too.
WellAndFull
July 2, 2015 at 1:33 pmThank you so much, Sara! :)
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Megan
February 24, 2016 at 5:15 pmThis looks wonderful! Do you think it would keep for 5 days in the fridge? Thinking of making this for work next week. Thank you!
Sarah
February 24, 2016 at 6:04 pmAbsolutely! I’ve kept this salad for up to a week in my fridge, so you should be fine for five days! :D
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Rebecca
May 6, 2016 at 3:37 pmWhat pasta did you use? Many of them have eggs so in curious what brands are vegan.
Sarah
May 6, 2016 at 8:26 pmThis is a great gluten-free, vegan option! I don’t know of any pasta brands that are exclusively vegan though so you should always check the label! :)
Barbara A
May 29, 2016 at 8:43 pmDo I cook the green beans and kale before adding them to the salad? I’ve had kale uncooked but not green beans. Thanks. I can’t wait to eat this salad :)
Sarah
May 30, 2016 at 12:21 pmI added the green beans and kale raw to this salad – it adds such a nice crunch! And the kale is chopped up small enough so that it’s easy to chew :) But you can definitely cook the green beans if you like!
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Chelsey
June 21, 2016 at 9:24 pmGorgeous food photography! Pasta salad is one of my faves and this one looks delicious. Glad your family loved it :)
Sarah
June 22, 2016 at 10:29 amThanks Chelsey!! :D
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Liliana
December 26, 2017 at 10:17 amThis recipe is AMAZING! I was very skeptical at first because I’m not really a fan of mustard, but the sauce complimented the dish perfectly!
This salad is tasty and very easy to eat too, not to mention easy to make. Simple enough to get all the flavors in one bite but brings bold new flavors to the table in comparison to other pasta salads. Five Stars!!!!! :)
Sarah
December 26, 2017 at 1:03 pmThank you so much for your review, Liliana! I’m so glad to hear you liked the recipe :)
Daniel
March 19, 2018 at 11:54 amHOW MANY DOES THIS RECIPE SERVE? i DO NOT SEE IT IN THE INSTRUCTIONS — OR, PERHAPS I AM MISSING IT. TRYINH TO PLAN FOR A POTLUCK.
Sarah
March 19, 2018 at 12:00 pmHi Daniel, it’s hard to say – it depends on how big the portion sizes are going to be. I’d say this would be fine for a small potluck with 10-12 people, with everyone having a small scoopful as a side. I hope this helps!
Daniel Theisen
March 19, 2018 at 8:10 pmThanks for the quik reply. Can’t wait to try this pasta salad.
Sarah
March 20, 2018 at 11:48 amYou’re welcome! I hope you like the recipe :)
Pam
April 3, 2018 at 1:23 pmHi Sarah! I love your site! I just discovered it and I have been going through all of the recipes checking everything out :) I love the creative ideas you have for different dressings, as that always is my challenge to keep things interesting. Just a question, as I have seen this mentioned on other sites as well- why only the white and light green parts of the green onion? I have never noticed that they taste different than the darker green part, but I guess I usually just chop it all up together for a salad! Haha! Would love to hear your opinion :)
Oh, also, I think it’s so funny that you’re a ‘temperature-specific’ food person, when I’m the EXACT opposite! Haha! It doesn’t matter to me if my food is cold or warm… my family always laughs at me ;)
Sarah
April 3, 2018 at 2:24 pmHi Pam, thanks so much for writing! In this recipe, I call for the white and light green parts because those have the most concentrated onion flavor. Plus, it prevents the dressing from turning green ;) I hope this helps! Please feel free to reach out if you ever have any other questions or comments :)
Jill
December 24, 2018 at 6:43 pmNewish to becoming vegan, made this to take to family xmas, swapped kale for spinach.YUM YUM
Sarah
December 25, 2018 at 9:36 amOoh spinach sounds like a great addition to this salad, I’ll have to try that myself! I’m so glad to hear everyone liked it :) Thanks so much for leaving a note, Merry Christmas!!
R.H.
May 16, 2019 at 1:34 pmThis is my go-to pasta salad recipe. I love the sauce!
Sarah
May 16, 2019 at 3:38 pmI’m so glad you liked the recipe!! Thanks so much for leaving a review :)
Hayley
May 26, 2019 at 3:38 pmWhat could be substituted for the honey since honey isn’t vegan?
Sarah
May 27, 2019 at 8:14 amHi Hayley, I’m so sorry for the error, there’s not supposed to be honey in this recipe! I’ve updated the recipe to reflect that :)
Julie
May 24, 2019 at 10:00 amI just tried this recipe and loved it!! thanks for the recipe Sarah, I can’t wait to make it again :)
Sarah
May 24, 2019 at 11:58 amI’m so glad to hear you liked the recipe Julie! Thanks so much for leaving a note :)
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