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Vegan Pasta Salad

Vegan pasta salad with colorful vegetable pasta and a creamy tahini-lemon dressing. This dairy-free, plant-based pasta salad is tossed, chilled, and served with fresh herbs.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

pasta (check for egg-free)
  • 1 lb pasta Use egg-free pasta if needed.
cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 cup cherry tomatoes Halve before adding.
cucumber, diced
  • 1 cup cucumber Dice evenly for consistent bites.
bell peppers (various colors), diced
  • 1 cup bell peppers Use a mix of colors if available.
red onion, diced
  • 0.5 cup red onion Dice finely for mellow flavor.
chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup chickpeas Rinse well to reduce any can flavor.
tahini
  • 0.25 cup tahini
lemon juice
  • 0.25 cup lemon juice
olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
garlic, minced
  • 2 garlic Minced.
Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
water to thin
  • 0.25 cup water Add a little at a time until dressing coats.
salt and pepper to taste
  • 0.25 tsp salt To taste.
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper To taste.
fresh herbs for garnish
  • 1 fresh herbs Chopped (choose herbs like parsley or dill).

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook the egg-free pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking (visual cue: pasta looks tender but still firm).
Make the tahini dressing
  1. Whisk together tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper, adding water a splash at a time until the dressing is pourable and coats the whisk (visual cue: smooth, creamy consistency).
Assemble and chill
  1. Combine the cooled pasta with cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, diced bell peppers, diced red onion, and chickpeas in a large bowl (visual cue: evenly mixed, colorful pasta and vegetables).
  2. Pour the tahini dressing over the salad and toss until every piece of pasta and vegetables is lightly coated (visual cue: glossy creamy coating on noodles).
  3. Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 1 hour to firm up the flavors (visual cue: chilled salad with dressing clinging to the pasta).
Serve
  1. Garnish with fresh herbs right before serving for a bright top layer (visual cue: green flecks on the surface).

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the pasta well with cold water so it stays separate and doesn’t dilute the tahini dressing. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; for best texture, stir once after chilling. Freezing is not recommended. For a gluten-free option, choose egg-free gluten-free pasta and follow the same cooking method.