This quick and easy pasta salad full of chopped vegetables and a light, refreshing dressing is perfect for parties and potlucks.
Different from traditional zesty pasta salads that smother ingredients with Italian dressing, this summer BBQ favorite is instead made with a yogurt and mustard base.
Much like the hot girl summer salad recipe, this Vegan Pasta Salad went viral on TikTok and is sure to be one of your favorite salad side dishes with tons of fresh vegetables.
Why this is the Best Pasta Salad Recipe
Makes in Advance – Like most classic pasta salad recipes in the same family, this dish tastes even better the next day when the flavors can melt together overnight.
This makes this recipe a perfect prep-ahead option.
Serves a crowd – Just like potato salad and macaroni salad, this pasta salad dish serves an out-the-door amount of people and is easy to cut in half or double!
Can Be Vegan…or not – There are so many different dairy-free options at stores now. To keep this one vegan, make sure to use DAIRY FREE yogurt. However, if you just want a delicious pasta salad and no need for vegan option, any Greek Yogurt option will do.
Simple Ingredients:
- Rotini pasta – cook pasta according to package instructions and completely cool (rinse with cold water) and drain excess pasta water.
- Canned Chickpeas – drained and rinsed.
- Fresh Veggies – red pepper, cucumbers, tomatoes (our preference is cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or Roma), celery, and red onion.
- Black olives
- Dressing – fresh dill, plain dairy-free yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard.
- Seasonings – dry parsley, kosher salt, dry dill, onion powder, and ground black pepper.
How to make Vegan Pasta Salad
- In a large bowl, mix cooked pasta, rinsed chickpeas, chopped red pepper, chopped cucumber, chopped tomatoes, chopped celery, chopped red onion, black olives, and fresh dill.
- In a separate, smaller mixing bowl, combine dairy-free yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, and season with salt, dry dill, onion powder, and pepper.
- Whisk homemade dressing well and pour on pasta mixture. Stir well to evenly coat.
- Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Variations
Mix up the ingredients – Fresh Vegetables can all be easily chopped and added to your liking.
Delicious pepperoncini peppers, bell peppers, and rinsed and drained black beans can change the cold pasta salad to focus on any flavor you love.
Topping Ideas
Great for toppings – Feta Cheese (if making as a Vegan dish, do not use Feta), Pine nuts and sliced green onions all make additional and delicious extra flavor toppings for this perfect side dish.
Related Summer Recipes
Our traditional Italian Pasta Salad recipe, complete with Tangy dressing, also includes rotini pasta! You can also sink your teeth into the creamy dressing version – Ranch Pasta Salad.
This Greek Pasta Salad recipe has no pasta in it, making it one of the most guilt-free summer salads ever.
Other unique side dish salad recipes are our Ambrosia salad recipe with cherries and marshmallows, Carrot Salad recipe with Raisins, and our super popular Pea salad recipe with cheese.
Vegan Pasta Salad with Dairy-Free Dressing
Ingredients
- 8 oz. Rotini Pasta cooked and cooled (rinse with cold water)
- 15 oz. chickpeas canned – drained and rinsed
- 1 cup red pepper chopped, seeds and stem removed
- 1 cup cucumber chopped
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes or grape/cherry tomatoes quartered
- ½ cup celery chopped
- ½ cup red onion chopped
- ½ cup black olives sliced
Creamy Vegan Dressing
- ¼ cup fresh dill
- ½ cup Dairy-Free plain yogurt if not wanting to be vegan, any plain Greek Yogurt will do
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp. dry parsley
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. dried dill
- ¼ tsp. onion powder
- ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook, drain, and cool Rotini pasta according to package directions.
- Chop and slice vegetables according to the instructions above next to the ingredient.
- In a large bowl, mix cold cooked pasta, rinsed chickpeas, chopped red pepper, chopped cucumber, tomatoes, chopped celery, chopped red onion, sliced black olives, and fresh dill.
- In a separate, smaller mixing bowl, combine dairy-free yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt, dry dill, onion powder, and black pepper.
- Whisk well and pour on pasta mixture. Stir well to evenly coat.
- Serve vegan pasta salad immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Sharing of this recipe is encouraged and appreciated. Copying of full recipe to any social media is prohibited.
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