Vegan Mediterranean Pasta Salad!
With the warmer weather finally here, I’ve been craving lighter, summer-inspired meals. This Vegan Mediterranean Pasta Salad is the perfect quick summer meal idea. The fresh basil and sweet cherry tomatoes pair perfectly together. This pasta reminds me of a combination of Greek and Italian flavours joined into one.
This pasta salad would be great as a side dish or served at a family pot-luck, but it’s also great to have as your main meal. The sunflower seeds add some healthy fats and extra protein, and there’s additional protein in both the chickpeas and the brown rice pasta. This pasta salad is macronutrient balanced and includes some fresh veggies as well. You can use whatever type of pasta you prefer, I like brown rice fusilli here.
For more summery recipes, try my Black Bean and Corn Salad or my Easy Vegan Pesto!
Vegan Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- One 1 pound package of pasta I used brown rice pasta
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup red onion sliced
- 1 cup cucumber chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives halved
- 1/4 cup fresh basil roughly chopped
- One 389 ml can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
Instructions
- Prepare your pasta according to package directions.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Add the oregano, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Add the sliced red onions, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, fresh basil, chickpeas, and sunflower seeds. Stir to combine.
- When the pasta is cooked and slightly cooled, add the pasta to the bowl and stir until fully coated.
- Serve immediately.
