High Protein Pasta Salad

Pasta salad in a white bowl with fork. There are cherry tomatoes and black peppercorns in the background.

5 from 12 votes

This refreshing high-protein pasta salad is satisfying, delicious, and packed with 23g of plant protein per serve. Great for summer, this dish also refrigerates beautifully and is meal prep-friendly.

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: American, Italian

Diet: Gluten Free, Halal, Low Calorie, Vegan

Servings: servings

Calories: 356kcal

Author: Meesha

Equipment

high speed blender

Ingredients

For the salad

2 cups high protein pasta or regular pasta *see notes
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 medium yellow bell pepper diced
1 15 oz can red kidney beans or other kinds of beans
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
12 cherry / grape tomatoes halved
salt and pepper to taste

For the dressing** (see notes)

½ cup raw cashews presoaked overnight (or ½ cup greek yogurt)
⅓ cup water
¼ cup white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar/lemon juice
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoon maple syrup or another liquid sweetener
2 teaspoon Italian seasonings
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Bring a pot of water to a gentle simmer and cook pasta according to package instructions. Add edamame to the pot during the last few minutes of cooking.
Cook pasta until tender. Drain the edamame and pasta from the pot, then rinse with cold water. Set aside.
While the pasta cooks, make the creamy Italian dressing by combining all the ingredients in a blender and blending until smooth.
In a large salad bowl, place in all ingredients and pour in dressing. Mix until everything is thoroughly combined. Give it a taste and add more seasonings, if needed.
Enjoy immediately. Or, chill it for an hour before serving for better texture and flavor.

Video

Notes

*High-protein pasta – I like both Barilla Protein+ and Banza chickpea pasta, but any other high-protein pasta will do. You can also swap with regular pasta, but the salad will be lower in protein.

**Dressing - Feel free to substitute with other dressings, like Caesar, vinaigrette, or my vegan Italian dressing.

Helpful tips

Cooking protein pasta – They are more delicate and tend to crumble easily compared to regular pasta. Make sure to cook them at a gentle simmer and check on them 1-2 minutes before the indicated cook time.
Cook pasta well – As pasta cools in the fridge, it tends to go stale. Cooking it well ensures a better texture.
Customize this recipe – Use any combination of vegetables. You can also switch up the dressing or use store-bought ones for a more convenient option.

Storing - Protein pasta salad can be refrigerated for 5 days in an airtight container. If the salad dried out too much, add a splash of olive oil before serving.

Nutrition