This Easy Vegan Pasta Salad comes together so quickly. It’s perfect when you need a healthy and tasty dish to bring to a cookout, BBQ, or potluck. It can be made ahead of time for a fast and delicious gluten-free dinner or lunch.
Summer is the time for relaxing, hanging out with family & friends, and outdoor eating. One of my favorite things to bring to potlucks, barbecues, potlucks, and cookouts are pasta salads. My Vegan Ranch Pasta Salad and Healthy Ramen Noodle Salad are two of my most popular recipes.
Pasta salads are great to bring to get-togethers for a few reasons:
- To make sure you have something to eat (some events don’t always have much in the way of plant-based food)
- Pasta salads can be easy or made ahead of time so you’re not rushing the day of the event
- You can control what you put in the pasta salad so you know you have something healthy to eat
Today I’m sharing another easy vegan pasta salad with you that I think you’ll also love.
Easy Vegan Pasta Salad
This easy vegan pasta salad is simple and delicious.
This dish came together really out of necessity. I had a BBQ one day last summer and I put off making the food I was bringing until last minute. I realized too late that I didn’t have all the ingredients I needed for the meal I was going to make so I had to think quickly.
Quick needed to be the name of my game that day so I used what was on hand. I luckily had spinach, chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and kalamata olives (some of my staples- all which paired very nicely).
I made sure this vegan pasta salad was easy to put together becasue I was in a rush. It took me about 15-20 minutes in total from start to finish (including cooking the pasta).
And guess what? Everyone enjoyed it!
I love that this pasta salad can be made ahead of time too. This way you don’t have to be running around the day of the get-together freaking out that whatever you’re bringing is going to take 2 hours to make (like I did).
Healthier Pasta Salad
I feel like some pasta salads add too much oil and have too little substance besides pasta. This recipe only uses a few tablespoons of oil for the whole dish.
However, since I’m not using a highly processed vegetable oil feel free to add a little more if you want because extra virgin olive oil is heart-healthy. Check out my Fats: the good, the bad, and the in-between post for more info on healthy fats!
I included chickpeas for an extra kick of protein. Chickpeas also contain fiber, iron, vitamin B6, and important electrolytes like magnesium and potassium.
The olives and sun-dried tomatoes add flavor as well as some healthy fat, vitamin C, and beta-carotene.
If you make this easy vegan pasta salad recipe, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below.
Easy Vegan Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz gluten free pasta (or regular pasta if not gluten-free)
- 2.5 cups spinach (feel free to add more!)
- 2-3 TB vegetable broth
- 15 oz can chickpeas
- 10 – 12 sun-dried tomatoes soaked in hot water for 5 mins if too hard
- .25 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/3 cup kalamata or black olives chopped
- 1 Tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tsp onion powder
- 3 TB olive oil (more if needed – evoo is heart healthy!)
- 1 lemon juiced
Instructions
- Cook pasta to package directions.
- While pasta is cooking, add a few tablespoons of veggie broth or water to large pan/skillet . Add the spinach and cook until just wilted.
- Put sun-dried tomatoes and basil in food processor and pulse till chopped. You don’t want to do it too much to make it into a paste, you just want it chopped.
- Drain and rinse chickpeas and put in large bowl along with the cooked spinach, olives, and sun-dried tomato/basil mixture.
- When pasta is done rinse with cold water and add to the bowl along with the rest of the ingredients.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- The salad will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Nutrition
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Mary Ellen Valverde MS, CNS, LDN is a Licensed Nutritionist and Certified Nutrition Specialist helping people thrive on a plant-powered diet. Mary Ellen offers a completely holistic and science-based approach to designing a healthy, plant-based life.
When she’s not working with clients or creating new meals for her blog, you can find Mary Ellen doting on her two rescue shih tzus, creating the perfect vegan mac & cheese, or exploring the world with her husband.
Beauty in Christ (@Emily11949309) says
I’ve never had orzo, but I think fresh pasta salads are one of my favorite parts about summer.
Mary Ellen says
Yes Emily, I agree, I love pasta salads in summer!
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
This looks wonderful, perfect for summer BBQs – thanks! We’re having a family BBQ here and hopefully yard work if I’m feeling it after a crazy work week – we’ll see! 🙂
Mary Ellen says
I hope you had a great weekend Christine!
kimmythevegan says
Ah summer!!! Perfect potluck pick =) I like how you can make it ahead of time too. I’ve been getting trapped into making food right before a potluck and then end up running late for it.
Sounds dee-licious!
Mary Ellen says
Thanks Kimmy! I’m always running late before going somewhere too if I’m trying to make some thing for it.
Liz @ The Clean Eating Couple says
This looks delicious – and so simple to make!
Mary Ellen says
Thanks so much Liz! 🙂
kateringforveggies says
I haven’t had orzo in such a long time! It’s going straight on my grocery list… I foresee nice lunches for next week! Thank you. 🙂
Mary Ellen says
Thanks Kate! I actually haven’t had orzo in forever before making this salad. I made a huge batch and had it for a party and for lunch last week. 🙂
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner says
I love orzo too and the sun dried tomatoes look yummy in here. Thanks for linking up for Meatless Monday
Mary Ellen says
Thanks Deborah! The sun-dried tomatoes really added that extra little kick I thought it needed.
Farrah says
I’ve never tried making anything with orzo, but I need to! :O This looks so good! :]!!
Mary Ellen says
Thanks so much Farrah! I used to make orzo frequently a while back and got out of the habit. It’s a nice little pasta especially for salads. 🙂
onesonicbite says
Oh man! I don’t even know when I’ve last had orzo! I feel like I should try this out.
Mary Ellen says
You should – and let me know what you think! I haven’t had orzo in forever before I thought about making this. I was going to use bowtie pasta but thought the orzo would be a bit better in this recipe.
Angela says
This sounds wonderful! I love orzo and think the addition of chick peas sounds amazing, thank you for sharing! Pinned & Stumbled 🙂
Mary Ellen says
Thanks so much Angela! I thought the chickpeas would be a nice little addition and add a punch of protein. ?
Deborah Smikle-Davis (@debsmikdav1) says
So healthy and delicious! My friends and family will eat this up! I am so delighted that you shared your delectable Summer Orzo Salad with us at the Healthy Happy Green Natural Party! I’m Pinning and sharing this!
Mary Ellen says
Thanks Deborah!
Corina says
Great salad! I love the chickpeas in it and all the Greek flavours.
Gemma says
This looks so fresh and colourful, definitely be going in my next picnic!
Stephanie says
This looks delicious – I love a good pasta salad! Orzo salad is the perfect pasta but rotini works well too! Just so you know, your recipe says orzo but the photos have rotini pasta, still delicious!! Thanks for the recipe.
Mary Ellen says
Thanks for pointing that out Stephanie! I reworked my orzo pasta salad into this rotini one so it could be gluten free! Went back in and fixed it. 🙂
Jasmin | VeeatCookBake says
Your pasta salad sounds awesome. Especially the spinach and kalamat olives. Those are my favorite olives. Yum Yum
Jen says
Summer calls for easy pasta meals like this one – especially when it’s 117 degrees outside!!! That was our temperature yesterday. Yikes! Thanks for this delicious idea.
Nicole says
SO much flavor and love the addition of chick peas!