Easy Vegan BLT Pasta Salad
Instead of a vegan BLT, how about a vegan BLT pasta salad? I've taken my favorite ingredients and created a life-changing twist on a traditional sandwich recipe transformed into a vegan BLT pasta salad recipe.
Servings: 6
Calories: 228kcal
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Whole-grain pasta (I used bow-tie noodles)
- 8 pieces tempeh bacon cut into bite-sized pices
- ½ cup pickled red onions dried on paper towels
- 1 pint grape tomatoes cut in half
- 5 cups kale chopped finely
- 1 avocado cut into bite-sized pieces
Dressing
- ½ cup cashew mayo
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke I used hickory flavor
- ½ lemon juiced
Garnish
- 1 cup arugula microgreens
Instructions
- Cook tempeh bacon as instructed and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Prepare pickled onions, remove ½ cup of onions from the jar, and lay on paper towels to remove excess brine.
- Boil and a large pot of water on the stove with 1 teaspoon salt.
- Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions for al dente pasta.
- Cut the tomatoes and avocado.
- Drain the pasta in a colander, and rinse thoroughly with cold water.
- Shake the colander to remove any excess water.
- Transfer the pasta to a large bowl.
- Add the other pasta salad ingredients, and toss to combine.
Dressing
- In a bowl or 2 cup measuring cup combine the dressing ingredients.
- Whisk to combine.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta salad ingredients and use tongs or a large spoon to toss, coating the salad with sauce.
Serving
- Serve in bowls or on pates and garnish with microgreens (optional)
Video
Notes
- Marinating the tempeh bacon (or coconut bacon) overnight before cooking makes all the difference in depth of flavor.
- Similarly, pickled red onions are best if refrigerated overnight before using in recipes.
- Whenever I make pickled red onions, I plan to use them in various recipes throughout the week.
- When lemons are in season and inexpensive, juice them and freeze them in ice cubes trays (2 Tablespoons) to use all year round.
- Allowing the pasta salad to chill in the refrigerator for an hour before serving helps the kale absorb the moisture of the dressing and also helps the flavors develop.
- This salad stays fresh for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 175mg | Potassium: 593mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 6296IU | Vitamin C: 73mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 1mg