Gluten Free Veggie Pasta Salad

All right, I know it’s almost Thanksgiving and for many parts of the world it’s already cold enough outside to be wearing heavy jackets and mittens, but here in southeast Texas the weather is kind of amazing 🌞 It’s been warm and mild during the day and chilly at night, but not so chilly that I’m freezing my vegan butt off. So even though pasta salad feels more like a spring or summer dish, I’m gonna put it out there anyway because this pasta salad is really delicious and healthy and filling.

For starters, this pasta is gluten free and contains minimal ingredients. I love that. Then it gets tossed in a tangy dressing and topped with tons of delicious veggies. I even added some pre-seasoned, pre-cooked tofu crumbles for added texture and protein 🙌

This Gluten Free Pasta Salad is perfect for lunch with friends or for making a huge batch to provide you with quick on-the-go meals for the rest of the week. It’s an easy way to get those veggies in 🍅🍋 if that’s something that’s a struggle for you 😜

Ingredients You Will Need:

• 1 pkg gluten free pasta (I used Ancient Harvest Garden Pagodas, I cooked the entire box and used about 2/3 of it for my pasta, leaving some leftover for later)

Dressing:

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 6 pinches of salt
• 2 pinches dried thyme
• garlic powder to taste
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp white rice vinegar
• 1 clove garlic finely minced
• juice from 1 small lemon
• 1 tsp olive juice
• 1 tsp juice from jar of marinated artichoke hearts

Veggies:

• 1 small leaf of kale, finely chopped
• 1 handful of marinated artichoke quarters, cut into smaller pieces
• several olives, cut in half
• 1/2 a cucumber, diced into large pieces
• 1 slice of red onion, diced into small pieces
• several cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Optional:

• 1/2- 1 pkg of Tofu Crumbles (mine were from Banyan Foods, already seasoned and pre-cooked)
• 1 small avocado, cubed
• nutritional yeast

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions.
2. Make your dressing by putting all ingredients into a small bowl and whisking together.
3. Put pasta in a large bowl and add your veggies and any optional ingredients like tofu crumbles.
4. Pour in dressing and gently mix into the pasta.

*If there’s not enough dressing for your taste, add a little more lemon juice or rice vinegar.

For people that love pasta but don’t want all the empty calories, this dish is for you! Your body will be happy, and so will your taste buds ☺️

Jillian 💙