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Vegan pasta salad on a plate with a fork.
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5 from 4 votes

Easy Vegan Pasta Salad (20 Minutes)

Enjoy a perfect lunchtime meal with this Easy Vegan Pasta Salad. Ready in just 20 minutes, it's delicious to eat and ideal for making ahead as a convenient ready-to-go option.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Main Dish, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 6
Calories: 453kcal
Author: Iosune

Ingredients

For the salad:

  • 1 pound dried pasta like fusilli, penne, rotini or bow tie
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 cup English cucumber sliced and quartered
  • 1 cup bell pepper, any color chopped
  • 1 block firm tofu about 14 ounces or 400 g, drained and cubed
  • ½ cup red onion chopped
  • ½ cup black olives pitted and sliced
  • ¼ cup fresh basil finely chopped

For the dressing:

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente according to package directions. Drain well and rinse under cold water. Then transfer to a large mixing bowl.
  • While the pasta is cooking, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl until well emulsified.
  • Combine all the ingredients, including vegetables and dressing, in the large mixing bowl with the cooked pasta. Adjust seasoning to taste.
  • Serve the pasta salad immediately or, for best results, cover and refrigerate it for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to 5 days.

Notes

  • Salt the pasta water. Add salt to the boiling water before cooking the pasta for enhanced flavor.
  • Cook pasta al dente. Cook the pasta until it's firm to the bite to avoid it becoming mushy and losing texture in the salad.
  • Rinse pasta with cold water. After cooking, rinse the pasta to cool it down and prevent overcooking and sticking.
  • Let the flavors marry. After dressing the salad, let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
  • Adjust seasoning before serving. Taste the salad and adjust seasoning as needed with salt, lemon juice, or herbs for enhanced flavors.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 453kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 382mg | Potassium: 333mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 332IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 2mg