Asian Pasta Salad (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

The most delicious Asian Pasta Salad recipe that's gluten-free, vegan, and allergy-friendly! This super easy and flavor-packed cold pasta salad is loaded with bright and crisp fresh veggies and tossed with an amazing soy-free dressing that's the perfect balance of tangy, sweet, spicy, and umami! Perfect for a potluck or side dish to feed a crowd!

Pasta salad season is upon us and there is no better time to start whipping up cold noodle salads for every potluck, cookout, and lazy summer lunch you find on your calendar! This super-easy Asian Pasta Salad only takes a few minutes to make and is extremely customizable, gluten-free, vegan, and allergen-friendly! Pasta, veggies, and an amazing dressing to tie it all together? This recipe will be going on your weekly meal prep list in no time!

Why This Is The Best Recipe

Healthy and pasta don't have to be isolated terms! This healthy vegan pasta salad is chockfull of every veggie under the sun! Add a protein and you can even turn this side dish into a meal! This cold pasta salad is...

• Gluten-Free
• Vegan and Vegetarian
• Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Corn-Free, Coconut-Free)
• Can Be Made Sesame-Free
• Packed with Veggies
• Kid-Friendly
• Make-Ahead & Meal Prep-Friendly
• Great as a Side Dish, Light Lunch, Add Protein For a Dinner

Ingredients You'll Need

• Gluten-Free Pasta: The perfect pasta for a cold pasta salad needs to be easy enough to serve up outside on a plate and with enough ridges, nooks, and crannies to hold the dressing and short and small enough to go well with the textures and shapes of your add-ins! While you may associate Asian pasta dishes with long noodles, they are not a good option for a pasta salad you want to easily eat with a fork and one that's full of raw and cut vegetables! (Imagine those long slippery noodles just sliding right off your plate as you try to eat this at a BBQ!
  • Choose a pasta shape like rotini, fusilli, or farfalle!
• Vegetables: You can mix and match and of course use different colors for certain veggies! I chose a delicious mix of shredded red cabbage, snow peas, scallions, shredded carrots, broccoli, and red bell pepper! You can use some celery, different colored bell peppers, cauliflower, even some napa cabbage or water chestnuts!
• Mandarin Slices: A small can of mandarin slices in juice or light syrup can be used! They provide the perfect pops of juicy sweetness to all the savory umami in this salad!
• Asian Dressing: This tangy, sweet, umami dressing is a combination of coconut aminos (soy-free and gluten-free soy sauce!), rice vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, chili paste, and sesame oil!
  • To make this dressing sesame-free, you can simply use a different oil like canola or sunflower and you will be good to go!

How to Make This Gluten-Free Pasta Salad

1. Boil your gluten-free pasta just to al dente, drain, and rinse to stop the cooking process (we don't want mushy pasta salad!).
2. Chop all your veggies.
3. Mix together the dressing ingredients.
4. Add the pasta to a large bowl, add the veggies, pour on the dressing, and toss it all together!

Tips, Tricks, & Suggestions

• When it comes to gluten-free pasta salad, do not overcook the pasta. Look at the package directions and boil just to al dente and rinse the pasta under cool water to stop the cooking process. Pasta in pasta salads will soften more as they sit in the dressing and this is amplified when using gluten-free pasta.
• Add in sesame seeds if you are not making this Asian pasta salad sesame-free! To really bring out the flavor, use toasted sesame seeds or toast them yourself on the stove in a hot pan for just a minute or two until fragrant. You can even use toasted sesame oil for a very robust sesame flavor!
• If you don't have a tree nut or nut allergy, feel free to add crushed almonds or peanuts. You can even use peanut oil as your oil of choice for the dressing!
• Use pre-chopped and slices veggies where you can for quick and easy time-saving shortcuts! Matchstick carrots, shredded red cabbage, even chopped broccoli florets can be found in almost every store!
• Serve your cold pasta salad chilled! While you can serve it right away at room temperature, pasta salad is always better once it's had time to sit and marinate in the dressing. The veggies will soften up perfectly when tossed with the dressing and allowed to chill in the fridge for a few hours or at least overnight!
• Make this pasta salad ahead of time to be ready for quick meals throughout the week or your potluck and cookout! Make sure to toss the salad again before serving to redistribute the dressing.
• Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in a closed container for about 5 days for the best quality.
• Always serve your pasta salad chilled, not "straight-from-the-fridge" cold! Let it sit out for a few minutes before dishing it out!

Make It A Meal

This delicious Asian noodle salad is perfect for a quick lunch or side dish. It's an essential for potlucks, cookouts, and BBQs, but you can also make it a hearty dinner by adding in some extra protein! Non-vegetarian options would be some grilled chicken or salmon. For vegetarian options, toss in some chickpeas or a chopped veggie burger!

More Gluten-Free Pasta Salad Recipes:

• Greek Pasta Salad
• Italian Pasta Salad
• Mexican Pasta Salad
• American Macaroni Salad
• Buffalo Pasta Salad
• Vegan BLT Pasta Salad
• Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

Print

What are you waiting for? Whip this super simple Asian-inspired pasta salad recipe up and devour it all yourself or bring it to your next potluck and WOW everyone!

So tell me:

+ Have any great pasta salad tips & tricks of your own?

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