Vegan BLT Pasta Salad (Gluten-Free, Allergy-Free)

This easy Vegan BLT Pasta Salad recipe is the only way you'll be making a BLT now! Just 5 ingredients, gluten-free, and allergy-free! It has all the salty smokey flavors of bacon, without the meat, crisp romaine lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and creamy eggless mayo! A pasta salad perfect for summer cookouts, BBQs, potlucks, or meal prep, for healthy lunches during the week!

It's a BLT, as a pasta salad! One of the most beloved classic sandwiches, transformed into a vegan and gluten-free pasta salad that is so packed with flavor and texture that you'd never know it's made with only 5 ingredients! Say goodbye to Aunt Susie's mushy old macaroni salad, and say hello to your new potluck side dish hero!

Why This Is The Best BLT Pasta Salad

Forget the bacon, forget the egg-filled mayo, and forget the glutenous white bread! This plant-based pasta salad is a vegan and gluten-free game-changer. With fresh nutritious veggies, homemade crispy, smokey coconut bacon, aquafaba mayo, and your favorite gluten-free pasta, this salad can be a meal on its own or a side dish that will wow all your party guests! This recipe is:

• Gluten-Free
• Vegan & Vegetarian
• Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Corn-Free)
• Grain-Free & Paleo (optionally!)
• Sugar-Free
• Kid-Friendly
• A Make-Ahead & Meal Prep Essential
• Simple Side Dish, Lunch, or Light Dinner
• Great For Summery Potlucks, BBQs, and Cookouts

Ingredients For A Vegan BLT Pasta Salad

• Gluten-Free Pasta: Choose a big hearty pasta shape. I used a grain-free cavatappi chickpea pasta for extra plant-based protein! You can use a cassava flour paleo pasta to make this recipe paleo. If you want to use normal grain-based pasta, I always recommend gluten-free Ronzoni!
• Coconut Bacon: This homemade vegan coconut bacon is the perfect crispy, smokey, salty, and umami meatless substitute for bacon in this vegetarian pasta salad!
• Romaine Lettuce: Fresh, crisp, Romaine Lettuce is a must for the "L" in your BLT pasta salad!
• Grape Tomatoes: Small grape tomatoes are the best tomatoes to use for this pasta salad for their small bite-size size and burst of juiciness without being too seedy.
• Vegan Mayo: The best creamy eggless mayo is all you need to dress your pasta salad! My homemade vegan mayo is perfect for this recipe, but you can also use store-bought!
• Salt + Pepper: Add just the right amount of salt and black pepper, to taste, to finish off your pasta salad. Simple, fresh, and lets all the natural flavors in this dish shine!

The Best Vegan Bacon For Pasta Salad

In this vegan BLT sandwich, eggplant bacon is best, but when it comes to a pasta salad, coconut bacon is key! You can go all out and make a large batch with my homemade recipe here, or you can put together a quick last-minute coconut bacon hack with a bag of unsweetened toasted coconut flakes and a teaspoon of smoked paprika! The flakes should be lightly salted, if not, add a pinch of salt as well! Give the coconut and spice a quick toast in a pan for just a minute or two to let the flavors infuse. Let it cool and set it aside.

How To Make A BLT Pasta Salad

1. First, boil, drain, and rinse your gluten-free pasta according to package directions.
2. Chop your fresh lettuce and half the grape tomatoes while the pasta cooks. If needed, prepare your coconut bacon as well.
3. In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked and cooled pasta, fresh veggies, coconut bacon, eggless mayo, along with the salt and pepper to taste.
4. Gently mix everything together until combined and coated. Serve it right away or chill it in the fridge until you're ready!

Tips And Tricks

• When boiling your pasta, make sure you subtract a minute or two from the cooking time. This will keep your gluten-free pasta from getting mushy and becoming overcooked. You want the noodles to be just al dente and still have a nice bite to them. When you drain the pasta, make sure you stop the cooking process by rinsing them until cool water.
• Don't want to use vegan mayo? You can also use a thick unsweetened plain non-dairy yogurt or vegan sour cream!
• If you plan on making your vegan pasta salad way in advance, add the coconut bacon right before serving, as it softens up the longer it sits in the mayo and moisture of the salad.
• You can also keep the lettuce out, as the vinegar in the mayo may cause it to lose its bright green color and it can become limp in the salad over time.
• If you use store-bought vegan mayo, you may need to add a tablespoon or two of white vinegar or reserved pasta cooking water, as store-bought varieties can be thicker than homemade. This can help with mixing.

Other Delicious Salad Additions

If you want to amp up your pasta-based BLT, you can add some chopped avocado, pickles, vegan cheddar cheese shreds, chopped red onion, garlic, even dill, or other fresh herbs!

How Long Does It Last?

Your BLT pasta salad can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days for the best quality. You can keep it in its serving bowl, lightly covered with plastic wrap or foil. You can also store it in a large covered storage container. Do not freeze it (that would be weird).

What To Serve With Vegan BLT Pasta Salad

Bring your pasta salad to your next potluck gathering or summer cookout! It goes great with hearty grilled vegetables, veggie burgers, or meatless hotdogs! Serve it will other complementary side dishes like vegan potato salad, coleslaw, broccoli salad, street corn salad, baked beans, or this tangy cucumber salad!

More Delicious Pasta Salad Recipes:

• Classic Italian Pasta Salad
• Classic American Macaroni Salad
• Greek Pasta Salad
• Asian Pasta Salad
• Easy Mexican Pasta Salad
• Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
• Vegan Tuna Pasta Salad
• Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
• Spring Orzo Pasta Salad

Print

Time to ditch the bread and swap it for some pasta! Ditch the bacon for coconut, and egg-filled mayo for eggless! This vegan BLT pasta salad is a game-changer and will have you leaving all those old boring creamy pasta salads behind!

So tell me:

+ What's your favorite addition to a BLT? Honestly, I'm just a classic kinda gal!

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