A pasta salad, packed with flavour and one that actually can be had as a meal in itself.
Now that the weather is warming up and Spring is well and truly on its way, I find myself craving a big ol’ bowl of salad for lunch. I have been working on building up a repository of salad recipes that actually work well for lunch. Very often, salads work great as a side on an accompaniment to a meal. But if eaten as a meal itself, I find myself hungry soon after.
Today’s recipe for my Avocado Pasta salad is a hearty one. It leaves you filling satiated and full of energy for a while. I love salads because they are so versatile and you can use whatever ingredients you have access to, and still end up with a really good salad. This salad is perfect for a work lunch or even to take to a potluck, a BBQ or a picnic. Whatever the occasion, even though this salad is plant-based, it is sure to please vegans and meat-eaters alike. I have shared the omni version of this salad before and it was a popular recipe then, so I figured it was time that I tried a plant-based version. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint.
So, if like me, you can’t wait for summer to roll around, try this salad out.
Avocado Pasta Salad
4
servings15
minutesA pasta salad, packed with flavour and one that actually can be had as a meal in itself.
Ingredients
1/2 cup of broccoli florets1/2 cup corn kernels
2 cups uncooked macaroni
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/4 red capsicum
1/4 yellow capsicum
2 spring onions
1 can of red kidney beans
A little coconut bacon (optional)
- For the dressing –
1 ripe avocado
1/2 cup plant coconut yogurt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt, to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Juice of 1/2 a lime
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves and stalks, roughly chopped
A pinch of hot cayenne pepper powder (or to taste)
Directions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, add some salt. Add the broccoli florets and cook for 30 seconds to a minute, or till its done to your liking. Drain the broccoli and reserve the cooking liquid.
- To the same pot, add the corn kernels and let it cook till done. When it has cooked, scoop the corn out of the water and set aside.
- Top off the pot of cooking liquid, add some more boiling water and when the water reaches a rolling boil, add the pasta. Cook till the pasta is done. Make sure the pasta is a little al dente and not overcooked.
- Drain the pasta and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Dice the capsicum and thinly slice the spring onions.
- Blitz all the dressing ingredients till it reaches a creamy consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
- In a large mixing bowl, place the cooked pasta, broccoli, corn, drained kidney beans and all the veggies. Add the dressing and gently toss to combine. If you’re using coconut bacon, add a little coconut bacon to the salad and mix through.
- Serve up and garnish with a little sprinkling of some more coconut bacon.
Enjoy!
Recipe Video
