High-protein Pasta Salad (low-calorie, vegan)

💚Why you will love this recipe

• Creamy, filling, and incredibly delicious
• Contains more than 20g of protein per serving, and is less than 400 calories
• Super easy to throw together and is ready in 15 minutes
• Transportable, making it the perfect lunchbox meal

🥗What you will need

For the salad

For Italian dressing

📓Notes / substitutions

• Chickpea pasta - Can be substituted with other high protein pasta like lentil or pulse pasta. Regular ones can also be used, but do bear in mind that the protein content will be significantly lower.
• Red kidney beans - Other beans like cooked chickpeas, navy beans or pinto beans can be used.
• Vegetables - Feel free to use any veggies you have on hand. Some that will work well in this protein pasta salad include bell peppers of any color, diced cucumber, shredded cabbage, frozen peas, and corn kernels.
• Cashews - Can be substituted with sunflower seeds to make this recipe nut-free.
• White wine vinegar - You could use red wine vinegar or lemon juice in place.

🔪How to make

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. In the meantime, make Italian dressing by combining all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

In a large salad bowl, place all ingredients and pour in the dressing. Mix until everything is thoroughly combined. Give it a taste and add more seasonings, if needed.

Enjoy immediately, or let your low-calorie pasta salad chill in the fridge before serving.

✔Helpful tips

• Cook pasta until Al dente - You want your pasta to be cooked but not mushy! Bite into your pasta a minute or two before the suggested cook time. The pasta should be tender but still have some chew to it.
• Chilling it - If you have some time on hand, let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes. This allows time for ingredients to marinade and soak up the delicious sauce.
• Give the salad a toss before serving - This helps redistribute the dressing, especially if your salad had been sitting in the fridge for hours or days.
• This recipe is usually served cold, but you can also serve it at room temperature!
• Store leftover high-protein pasta salad in an airtight container, and you can refrigerate it for 3-4 days.

🧀Other variations/add-ins

• Dressing - Can be substituted with an oil-based vegan Italian dressing, vegan mayo, or even teriyaki sauce for an Asian spin. For a quicker version, feel free to use your favorite store-bought dressing in place.
• Meat substitutes - Chop up some seitan, vegan Italian sausage, or even seitan bacon to further increase the protein content of this salad.
• Vegan cheese - Top it with some vegan feta or vegan parmesan to boost the umami flavors of this dish.
• Toppings - Love topping with some toasted pumpkin seeds, roasted black beans, or roasted lentils to give this salad some crunch. Or, you could also add in some croutons.
• Fruits - If you like that sweet and savory combo, toss in some raisins or other chopped dried fruits to this vegan protein pasta salad.

🍢How to serve

Although this low-calorie pasta salad works great as a lighter stand-alone dish, you can serve is with other heartier dishes -

• Burgers - You could serve it with a classic black bean burger or this extra meaty TVP burger.
• Sandwiches - Pair this salad with any sandwiches of your liking! You could do vegan BLT, vegan egg sandwich, or a classic hummus veggie wrap.
• Vegan meat substitutes - Be it seitan ribs, vegan roast beef, or a simple seitan chicken breast.
• Other side dishes - Alternatively, you could treat this protein pasta salad as a main dish and serve it with sides like baked beans, corn on the cob, roasted vegetables, or even a refreshing fresh tomato salsa.

❔Commonly asked questions

🍽More salad recipes

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