Sometimes all you need is a QUICK & EASY pasta dish to make everything okay. Today we’re cooking up this simple VEGAN Pasta Salad that comes together with a handful of simple ingredients and a delicious dressing.

If you’re looking for more pasta salad inspiration, you should also try his Ranch Pasta Salad (vegan friendly!), Vegan Macaroni Salad, Lemon Broccoli Pasta Salad, and this Cucumber Vegan Pasta Salad!

close up shot of pasta salad with tri color past spirals and veggies this recipe

Growing up, I ate a LOT of pasta salad (zero complaints!). This pasta salad is my attempt to replicate my moms pasta salad which is a highly requested dish at ALL family functions.

It’s filled with veggies, pasta of your choosing (I always find myself reaching for spirals or bowties in this dish), and a simple to make dressing to add a nice burst of flavor to everything.

Speaking of the pasta, you can use really ANY kind of pasta here that you would like! Since we’re simply mixing it in with a few other ingredients after it has already been cooked, you can have your pick. Any plant based, gluten full or gluten free pasta would work well here! I’ve tried this before with red lentil pasta and LOVED IT!

pasta salad with black olives, cherry tomatoes, red onion in a big bowl on a white board

How to make this Vegan Pasta Salad:

Pasta is cooked, veggies are chopped, a super simple dressing is made and then it’s ALL mixed together.

I tried out a few combos to decide which dressing to use for this pasta salad. I ended up going with a simple Italian dressing using ingredients I already had in the house.

close up shot of pasta salad with tri color past spirals and veggies

You can serve it warm but I typically prefer my pasta salad cold. Simply rinse your cooked pasta under cold water to cool in down before mixing it with the veggies and the dressing. Easy peasy.

Needless to say, I’m a huge fan!

shot of pasta salad with tri color past spirals and veggies

Storing the pasta for later:

I made this pasta salad on a Sunday and ate on it for pretty much the entire week. So, if you’re wondering how long this pasta salad is good for, I’d say you’re good for about 4-5 days at least.

To properly store it, I suggest putting it in an air tight container and keeping it in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you’re making it as a meal prep recipe, I suggest rationing out the dressing and pouring it on right before serving.

Other Plant Based Pasta Salads:

See How To Make the Pasta Salad:

 
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Vegan Pasta Salad

★★★★★

5 from 22 reviews
  • Author: Brita Britnell
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

Easy and Delicious Vegan Pasta Salad!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound of pasta ( I used spirals)*
  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup of grape or cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
  • 1 small green bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1 can of sliced black olives (mine was 6 ounces)
  • 1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley or cilantro (I used parsley)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/3 cup of olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon of oregano
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon of onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
  • Good pinch of sugar

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to directions to your desired doneness. Drain and let cool. If serving the pasta salad cold, run the cooked pasta under cold water to cool it off quite a bit.
  2. While the pasta cooks, chop up your veggies and make your dressing.
  3. Make the dressing by combining the olive oil, vinegar, spices, and sugar. Whisk until fully combined and set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, chopped veggies, parsley (or cilantro) and dressing. Toss until the pasta and veggies are fully coated in the dressing.
  5. Salt and pepper to taste and ENJOY!!!

Notes

*You can use any kind of pasta here including a gluten free variation if you desire! Just make sure that you cook it according to the package instructions as they’re all very different

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Pasta
  • Method: Cooking
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: pasta salad, summer recipes, vegan salad