With the hot weather we are all about salads. I love summer salads that are full of summers finest ingredients. There is something special about walking out your back door to pick fresh herbs and tomatoes. I prefer hearty salads that are full of vegetables and like to add greens whenever possible. This creamy pasta salad has a bit of everything except the kitchen sink. If your looking for a perfect potluck salad this creamy pasta salad with arugula is a winner.
We rarely eat pasta but when we do I like pair it with a salad and/or extra vegetables. I was perusing recipes for an upcoming bbq and found this pasta salad recipe on foodiecrush. I opted to use vegan mayo because we don’t love the taste of mayo and added peppers and cucumber. The original recipe called for bacon and avocado which would make a nice flavour. I contemplated adding olives but I wasn’t sure if I could convince the kids to try the salad. Like most salads you can add any ingredient you wish. If you want to make this a meal you could add chickpeas, tofu, or grilled chicken breast.
Ingredients
- 2 cups of cooked pasta (your choice)
- 1 pint of cherrie tomatoes cut in half
- 1 cucumber sliced in quarters
- 1 yellow pepper
- 3 cups of arugula, washed
- 1/4 cup of chopped flat leaf parsley
- dressing:
- 1/4 cup of mayonnaise ( I used a vegan version)
- 1/4 cup of plain greek yogurt ( I used 2 %)
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp of finely chopped felt leaf parsley
- 1 tbsp of chopped dill
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- salt and pepper to taste.
Instructions
- Place all salad ingredients in a large bowl.
- Combine all salad dressing ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together.
- Add salad dressing to salad and gently toss salad together
- Serve chilled
If your like me and want to avoid cooking during the hot summer months I found a couple of hearty salads I plan on making like this sunny creamy tahini pasta salad from love and lemons or this baby kale salad with cherries, marinated lentils and goat cheese from Sprouted kitchen. Another salad I make regularly during the summer months is this refreshing watermelon and salad.
What is your favourite summer salad?
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