Building the Perfect Pasta and Bean Salads
Meet your new besties. Pasta and bean salads. These are stupid easy to make and trust me, I have no doubt you have just the right ingredients on hand to make any variation you’ve got a hankering for. May I offer one last tidbit of advice? You do not need to wait to be invited to a picnic or potluck to get some pasta and bean salad magic in your life. This is a weeknight’s dream meal if you ask me.
Building Options
Ingredients
Choose A Starch: Pasta-any shape or size, preferably whole wheat or gluten-free. Any whole-grain such as wild rice, brown rice, bulgar, quinoa, lentils. Any bean such as black beans, kidney beans, cannellini beans, pinto beans, butter beans, chickpeas. Don’t be afraid to mix and match!
Add Fruits and Veggies: asparagus, arugula, kale, spinach, broccoli, corn, cucumber, zucchini, peppers, peas, cabbage, bok choy, sweet potatoes, baby red potatoes, artichoke hearts, corn, tomatoes, jalapenos, cauliflower, zucchini, sweet bell pepper, avocado, radish, onion, scallions, shallots, garlic, apples, berries, grapes, mango, pear, dried fruit.
Give It Some Crunch: nuts, seeds, baked chickpeas, celery, fresh green beans, whole-grain croutons.
Dress It Up: chives, scallions, cilantro, basil, citrus juice, rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar, peanut sauce, tamari, Bragg Liquid Aminos, salsa. Plant-based Sour Cream or mayo for a creamy dressing. A versatile favorite of mine is Salad Dressing 1-1-1.
Add Flavor Enhancers: fresh herbs; parsley, cilantro, basil, dill, mint leaves. Banana peppers, olives, capers, pepperoncini, pickled onions, pickle relish, sun-dried tomatoes, minced fresh or roasted garlic.
Instructions:
Cook your pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Blitz up your dressing in a blender or shake it up in a jar.
Toss together, taste and adjust, AND exercise every self-control muscle in your body so as not to eat the whole thing before actual mealtime.
Chill to allow the flavors to marry.
My Go-To Pasta Salads Recipes:
Italian Pasta Salad
Starch - penne pasta, cooked and drained tossed with the following…
Veggies - chopped cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped green bell pepper
Crunch - toasted pine nuts
Dressing - Salad Dressing 1-1-1 using one part each of white wine vinegar, one part maple syrup, one part brown mustard, Italian Seasoning…as much or as little depending on the size of the salad you’re making. I always make my dressing with 1/3 cup of each of the three ingredients and add 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning.
Enhancers - chopped fresh parsley, fresh basil ribbons, chopped black olives, pepperoncini slices
Un-Tuna Macaroni Salad
Starch - whole-grain macaroni pasta, cooked and drained tossed with the following…
Veggies - green peas, chopped red bell pepper, minced red onion
Crunch - celery
Dressing - plant-based Sour Cream mixed with freshly ground black pepper and dulse or nori flakes.
Enhancers - pickle relish
Black Bean Cowboy Salad
Starch - black beans or pinto beans and brown rice tossed with the following…
Veggies - corn, white onion, chopped red bell pepper, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber, minced white onion, avocado
Crunch - pepitas
Dressing - Salsa, lime juice
Enhancers - chopped cilantro, minced jalapeno, sliced black olives
Greek Salad
Starch - whole-grain bow tie pasta and/or chickpeas tossed with the following…
Veggies - chopped green bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, chopped red onion
Crunch - toased sunflower seeds
Dressing - Salad Dressing 1-1-1 using one part each of red wine vinegar, one part maple syrup, one part brown mustard, Greek seasoning…as much or as little depending on the size of the salad you’re making. I always make my dressing with 1/3 cup of each of the three ingredients and 1 teaspoon Greek Seasoning.
Enhancers - fresh chopped parsley, halved kalamata olives, Tofu Feta
Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Salad
Starch - whole-grain rigatoni tossed with the following…
Veggies - roasted strips of yellow and/or red bell pepper, roasted minced garlic clove, blanched broccolini
Crunch - coarsely chopped toasted almonds
Dressing - Salad Dressing 1-1-1 using one part each of fresh-squeezed lemon, one part maple syrup, one part brown mustard…as much or as little depending on the size of the salad you’re making. I always make my dressing with 1/3 cup of each of the three ingredients.
Enhancers - minced garlic, fresh basil ribbons,
Three Bean Pasta Salad
Starch - whole-grain shell macaroni and chickpeas tossed with the following…
Veggies - minced shallots, kale ribbons
Crunch - blanched green beans
Dressing - plant-based Sour Cream
Enhancers - fresh basil ribbons, fresh parsley, a few grindings of black pepper
Ranch Pasta Salad
Starch - whole-grain rotini pasta tossed with the following…
Veggies - kale ribbons, chopped green pepper, sliced grape tomatoes
Crunch - plant-based Bacon Bits
Dressing - plant-based Sour Cream with Ranch Seasoning
Enhancers - sliced black olives
Strawberry White Bean Salad
Starch - cannellini beans tossed with the following…
Veggies and Fruit - baby spinach, chopped cucumber, quartered strawberries, chopped cantaloupe, sliced red onion
Crunch - toasted sliced almonds
Dressing - Poppy Seed Salad Dressing
Enhancers - fresh chopped dill
Grilled Zucchini Salad
Starch - red kidney beans tossed with the following…
Veggies and Fruit - grilled zucchini slices
Crunch - toasted pine nuts
Dressing - Salad Dressing 1-1-1 using one-part each of white balsamic vinegar, one-part maple syrup, one-part Dijon mustard
Enhancers - fresh chopped parsley, a few grindings of black pepper
Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Starch - whole grain fusilli pasta tossed with the following…
Veggies and Fruit - zucchini slices, chopped artichoke hearts, red onion, tomato, red bell pepper, grape tomatoes
Crunch - blanched green beans
Dressing - Salad Dressing 1-1-1 using one-part each of white wine vinegar, one-part maple syrup, one-part Dijon mustard
Enhancers - fresh chopped basil, kalamata olives, and a few grindings of black pepper
