Super-Easy Vegan Pasta Salad

This vegan pasta salad recipe was generously sponsored by our friends at Pastabilities—makers of the most fun pasta on the planet! Their pasta comes in all different shapes like the adorable bunny pasta we used here. Plus, they recently came out with delicious kid-approved vegan mac ‘n’ cheese. Hip-hop-hurray!

Pasta salad is an amazing meal when you’re making food for a lot of people. Whether it’s for a party, potluck, picnic, an everyday family dinner, or you just want to meal prep for the week, this versatile pasta salad is sure to become one of your new go-to recipes. The flavors are out-of-this-world delicious.  

The dressing for this pasta is a simple olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette with fresh herbs and spices to give a bold flavor. This dish is screaming with flavors of spring and summer and it’s guaranteed to be a hit at your next picnic. This would also be a really fun recipe for camping because it stores really well and can easily be made ahead of time. Warm summer nights by the lake with some delicious vegan pasta salad? Yes, please!

It’s Quick & Easy!

Aside from the delicious flavor, one of the best things about this recipe is that it’s so quick and easy to make. Just boil the pasta (we’re using this adorable bunny pasta from Pastabilities that’s perfect for celebrating a vegan Easter). While the pasta is boiling, you can add all of the rest of the ingredients to a bowl. When the pasta is finished cooking, drain and rinse it with cold water, and then add it to the bowl with all of the ingredients. Toss to coat and either serve immediately or store it in the fridge until serving. 

You can definitely serve it right away, but we highly suggest leaving it in the fridge for a couple of hours if you can, both to chill and also allow the flavors to intensify. But we certainly won’t blame you if you just can’t wait! 

This recipe would compliment some other amazing spring and summer dishes like corn on the cob, veggie burgers or veggie dogs, roasted veggie skewers, jackfruit tostadas, and so much more. Or have a Mediterranean night and make this pasta salad alongside some crispy baked falafels pitas, wraps, hummus, and tabouleh. 

Perfect For Vegan Meal Prep 

If you love to meal prep or are looking for some great portable vegan lunch options, this is an amazing recipe to add to your arsenal. You can make it at the beginning of the week, portion it into glass meal prep containers, and take it for your lunches at work or school. It packs beautifully and keeps well in the fridge all week!

Perfect For Hot Weather

If you’re making this meal in the spring or summertime, you’ll love that you don’t need to turn on the oven for it. We love recipes like this that allow you to keep your home nice and cool when it’s just too hot to cook. Raw veggies for the win! 

Vegan Pasta Salad

5 from 5 votes

A delicious vegan pasta salad with amazing Mediterranean flavors! You'll love this recipe that is ready in 20 minutes or less. Perfect for gatherings, picnics, and potlucks!

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Prep Time 8 minutes minutes

Total Time 8 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

Pasta Salad

• 16 ounces pasta
• ¾ cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• ¾ cup cucumber, diced into small chunks
• ¾ cup pitted and sliced kalamata olives
• ½ cup green bell pepper, diced into small chunks
• ½ cup red onion, finely chopped or thinly sliced
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil

Dressing

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons +1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

• Begin by boiling the pasta according to package directions. When the pasta is finished cooking, drain and rinse it with cold water. Mix in a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking. If you're using the Pastabilties bunny pasta, keep the boil low, be sure not to overcook, and be gentle while mixing ingredients together. This will help maintain the adorable bunny shape!
• In the meantime, add all of the dressing ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. 
• Add all of the rest of the ingredients to the bowl along with the pasta and toss to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste as needed. 
• Chill the pasta salad in the fridge until serving. Feel free to let it sit in the fridge for several hours before serving to allow the flavors to intensify. 

Notes

You're welcome to double this recipe if you're serving it at a big gathering. This recipe serves around 6 people or more. But trust us, your friends and family are going to gobble it up and want seconds, so make plenty! 

Nutrition

Calories: 404kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 760mg | Potassium: 307mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 487IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2mg

Course Salad

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword vegan pasta salad

Mix It Up & Make It Your Own!

You’ll find some seriously delicious fresh veggies in this vegan pasta salad recipe—but don’t hesitate to go off-book and mix it up based on what you’ve got on hand.

We’ve included sweet cherry tomatoes, crunchy cucumber, tangy red onion, crispy bell pepper, and kalamata olives. You can completely omit the olives if they’re not your thing, but we highly recommend them because it makes the salad extra special. Feel free to add any other veggies you love!

Other Great Pasta Salad Add-Ins:

• Corn
• Broccoli
• Artichoke hearts
• Spinach
• Arugula
• Quinoa
• Beans
• Peas
• Asparagus
• Fresh dill

Let’s Explore All The Pastabilities! 

Hi, everyone. My name is Michelle, and I’m a pastaholic. 

There—I said it.

Pasta is my favorite food on the planet, and it has been since I was a wee little girl.

When I was young, my mom would make “special” pasta for holidays. She’d serve up pasta shaped like Jewish stars for Hanukkah and red heart-shaped pasta for Valentine’s Day. I don’t know where she found these magical creations, but I loved them. 

So when I found Pastabilities—by literally bumping into their vegan mac ‘n cheese display at an event—I was smitten.

Their creative and colorful pasta shapes filled me with nostalgia and I got excited at the thought of being able to pass on the “fun pasta” tradition I loved so much as a kiddo.

For this recipe, I used this Pastabilities bunny pasta because Easter is just around the corner, and…well…bunny pasta is adorable! Truthfully, you don’t ever need an excuse to integrate it into your cooking. It’s fun any time of year, holiday or not. 

Hello, Boxed Vegan Mac ‘N Cheese!

Plus…did I mention their vegan mac and cheese?! Not only is the packaging and pasta the cutest, but the mac & cheese itself is totally delish. It’s on Amazon if you want to scoop some up to try for yourself! I highly recommend it. And my husband wants me to let you all know that it’s his favorite vegan mac.  

Hello, Healthy Fats!

You’ll also love that this vegan pasta salad is loaded with heart-healthy ingredients and healthy fats from the olives and olive oil. Did you know that olives and olive oil are loaded with vitamin E?

Olives also boast antioxidants and are a relatively good source of iron and other essential minerals such as calcium. Olives and olive oil also contain omega 7. Omega 7 fatty acids aren’t in a wide variety of foods, and olives are one of the most common sources. Omega 7 is fantastic for skin health, regulating blood sugar metabolism, and fighting inflammation. We love our healthy fats! 

Vegan pasta salad recipe by Kathy Chrzaszcz for WorldofVegan.com. Photos by Michelle Cehn. All content copyright of World of Vegan™, all rights reserved. Please note that this article contains affiliate links which means shopping through them supports World of Vegan. Many thanks to The Pasta Shoppe a.k.a. Pastabilities for making this recipe possible, and supporting our work at World of Vegan!