This isn’t your average pasta salad. It’s tangy, crunchy, creamy, and packed with plant-based protein thanks to protein pasta and chickpeas. With bright flavors from pickles, capers, and dill, it’s a refreshing meal-prep hero that holds up well in the fridge. Perfect for summer picnics, quick lunches, or a hearty side dish.
Summertime Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Salad Base
- 1 box cooked protein-infused fusilli pasta
- 1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 1 cup chopped celery (about 4 stalks)
- 1 cup finely diced red onion (½ medium-sized onion)
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes (2 medium or 1 cup cherry)
- 1 cup sliced black olives
- 1 cup chopped artichoke hearts
- 1 cup chopped pickles
- ½ cup fresh dill chopped
- 4 tbsp capers
Creamy Dill Yogurt Dressing
- ½ cup plain unsweetened vegan yogurt
- ½ cup chopped dill
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Cook the pasta
- Prepare pasta according to package instructions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside to cool.
Chop and combine
- In a large bowl, mix the chickpeas, celery, red onion, tomatoes, olives, artichokes, pickles, capers, and dill.
Make the dressing
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt, dill, olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy.
Assemble the salad
- Add the cooled pasta to the veggie mixture. Pour the dressing over and toss everything together until evenly coated.
Chill & serve
- Let the salad chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. It tastes even better the next day!
