This Spring Harvest Pasta Salad uses fresh in season veggies and chickpea pasta as well as a dairy free, oil free, creamy lemon poppyseed dressing to add flavor to your menu!
Spring Harvest Pasta Salad
I love a good pasta salad. Especially when the weather starts to warm up and picnics are once again a thing we do. This pasta salad is an interesting take on your traditional pasta salad because it uses no dairy, no oil, and no meat. It is also not Italian inspired like some of my other favorite pasta salads. In fact, this salad was inspired by one of my previous recipes posted.
I wanted to create a fresh strawberry salad with a poppyseed dressing, so I set to work. I made my Strawberry Salad With Creamy Lemon Poppyseed Dressing for lunch and couldn’t get enough of that lemon poppyseed dressing. Since I made a double portion (as I often do with salad dressings) I had a bit leftover. As I was putting it away, something struck me as to how this dressing would be delicious over cold pasta. Needless to say, for dinner that night we ate Spring Harvest Pasta Salad.
I wanted to incorporate some in season veggies so this is what I used:
Frozen Peas (1 cup)
Trimmed Asparagus (about 8 cut into 1/2 inch segments)
Red Cabbage ( 3/4 cup shredded)
Baby Broccoli (one bunch or about 3/4 cup chopped)
Thinly Sliced Shallots (1 shallot)
Since I wanted this to be a meal, I thought I would add some protein found in the form of chickpea noodles. I like this brand Banza Chickpea Pasta. Per 3.5 oz Serving: Banza: 23 g protein; 8 g fiber; Wow! Ok yes!
This pasta salad needed one more thing. A delicious light springy dressing. I knew my Creamy Lemon Poppyseed Dressing would be perfect. I use lemon juice, dried basil, garlic, agave, almond milk, salt, pepper, and cashews. No oil, no dairy= healthy!
I thought the whole thing was absolutely delicious. It serves about 4, but my hubby and I ate it in 1 meal with a tiny bit leftover. I should keep well in the fridge for about 5 days. Hope you enjoy it!
~Lora
Spring Harvest Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For The Creamy Lemon Poppyseed Dressing
- ¼ cup cashews soaked
- ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice about 2 lemons
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup almond milk or milk of choice
- 1 Tbsp agave nectar
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 Tbsp poppyseeds
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For The Pasta Mixture
- 1 8 oz box Banza Rotini Chickpea Pasta - 8 oz box
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ¾ cup broccolini chopped
- ¾ cup about 8 asparagus stalks trimmed to 1/2 inch segments
- 1 shallot sliced thin
- ¾ cup red cabbage shredded or chopped thin
- 1 cup frozen sweet peas
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil (about 8 cups).
- Add Banza. I also add the frozen peas to the noodles at this time. Stir, and reduce to a simmer.
- Cook to desired firmness, stirring frequently, about 7 mins (expect foam). Drain and toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Meanwhile, add chopped asparagus, cabbage, and broccolini to a steamer basket and steam for about 9 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender but not too soft.
- Pour the drained pasta and peas into a large bowl. Add the steamed vegetables and sliced shallots. Pour dressing over and stir to combine.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before enjoying cold.
Nutrition
