Pasta Salad with Avocado Dressing Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free)

This vegan pasta salad with avocado dressing is a bright and beautiful bowl of fun! Loaded with fresh veggies & GF pasta in a creamy avocado vinaigrette dressing! Great as a side dish, pot luck salad, or a crowd-pleasing recipe to bring to a BBQ or cookout.

Vegan Avocado Pasta Salad Recipes For the WIN!

This No-Mayo Avocado Pasta Salad Recipe Is:

• Colorful
• Loaded with fresh veggies
• Versatile: use what you have on hand!
• Creamy
• Bright
• Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free
• Refreshing

A Fun & Healthy Pasta Salad with Avocado Dressing

As a swimmer growing up, pasta salad was my go-to meal at any swim meet. I love the energy from fresh veggies, different pasta shapes, and a bright and herby dressing together in one bowl. This recipe uses avocado amd dijon mustard to make the dressing creamy (instead of a more traditional mayo). This is a great summer side dish… or spring, or fall, or winter. Basically, we can eat this all year over here, so any season goes!

A Great Make-Ahead Avocado Pasta Salad for Entertianing

This vegan pasta salad with avocado dressing recipe is fantastic to make ahead of time for a party, potluck, or gathering. Making this recipe in advance allows you to skip any cooking or prep on the day-of. This is a great recipe to entertain with, or bring to an event. A crowd-pleaser that everyone is sure to love!

What’s In This Pasta Salad with Avocado Dressing?

• GF Macaroni Noodles: to make this gluten free, these awesome GF macaroni pasta noodles work perfect in this recipe.  If you aren’t gluten free, then you can use normal macaroni, whole wheat, or a veggie pasta.
• Carrots: from our garden, give this salad a nice sweetness
• Cucumer: also from the garden, crispy and fresh
• Cabbage: I used both red and green for color. You can also use a bag coleslaw mix too, the texture is perfect for pasta salad.
• Red Onion: for a little kick
• Corn and Peas: You can use fresh, canned, or frozen (and thawed). Super versatile, use what ya got.
• Cherry Tomatoes: from the garden, yet again.
• Avocados: a source of fat for the dressing, no mayo required!
• Whole Grain or Dijon Mustard – for a really nice flavor and texture, you can use either whole grain mustard, stone ground, or dijon… I’d stay clear from yellow prepared mustard for this recipe.
• Apple Cider Vinegar, which may surprise you but it gives the cookies a little extra tang which is really fantastic! I love using this organic apple cider vinegar with the mother which has a great flavor.
• Relish: to give the dish a little sweetness!  I like this Chicago style relish which has a nice crunch… and as a Chicagoan myself, I love the bright green color of this relish in my mac salad!
• Italian Seasoning Blend: usually has thyme, basil, rosemary, parsley, etc. I love this bright and flavorful Italian season mix which brings this amazing dish to life.
• Garlic Salt: for a little extra flavor than traditional salt.  I like to use this garlic salt in my savory pasta dishes for that extra kick.

How Do I Keep Avocados Fresh?

So I learned the best hack for keeping avocadoes fresh: put them in the freezer when they are ripe! They last for months, and when you thaw them the avocado is still perfectly perserved. It does get a little mushy, so its actually perfect for this salad dressing or for guacamole. Seriously, try it out! It’s been a 2020 game changer for us!

Easy Weekend Pasta Salad Recipes with Avocado 

This pasta salal with avocado dressing is what I call an Easy Weeknight Meal – which is on your table in about 30 minutes.  These quick and simple recipes are perfect for those nights when you want a healthy homecooked meal but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. I have a whole section of The Herbeevore dedicated to Easy Weeknight Meals, that are great for the whole family. From soups and stews, to pastas and proteins – a healthy meal can be on your table in no time.  Even faster than ordering takeout!

How Do I Make This Mayo Free Avocado Vegetable Pasta Salad?

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl, add the cooled pasta, carrots, cucumber, red onion, cabbage, corn, peas, and cherry tomatoes.
3. In a mason jar, add all the dressing ingredients. Seal with an airtight lid and shake well to combine. The dressing should be a thick consistency.
4. Pour the dressing over the pasta and veggies, and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Enjoy!

Other Healthy Summer Pasta Salad Recipes We Love!

Get the Same Ingredients I Use For My No Mayo Vegan & Gluten Free Avocado Pasta Salad Recipe:

As always if you make this creamy avocado veggie pasta salad recipe be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe, and tag me @theherbeevore on Instagram so I can feature you.  I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

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Pasta Salad with Avocado Dressing (Vegan, GF)

Kelly Jensen

This avocado veggie pasta salad is a bright and beautiful bowl of fun! Loaded with fresh veggies, GF pasta, in a creamy avocado vinaigrette dressing! 

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Share Tweet

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Course Pasta, Salad

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the Pasta Salad

• 1 lb pasta of choice gluten free
• 3 carrots diced
• 1 cucumber diced
• 1/2 red onion finely diced
• 1 cup red cabbage shredded
• 1 cup green cabbage shredded
• 1/2 cup corn
• 1/2 cup peas
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes diced

For the Dressing

• 1 ripe avocado mashed with a fork
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons sweet relish
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Instructions

 

• Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, add the cooled pasta, carrots, cucumber, red onion, cabbage, corn, peas, and cherry tomatoes.
• In a mason jar, add all the dressing ingredients.  Seal with an airtight lid and shake well to combine.  The dressing should be a thick consistency.
• Pour the dressing over the pasta and veggies, and toss to coat.  Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.  Enjoy!

Notes

If you feel like you need a little extra creaminess, you can add a tablespoon of olive oil or vegan mayo... but I found that the mashed avocado worked wonders!

Keyword Avocado Veggie Pasta Salad, Creamy Vegan Pasta Salad, No Mayo Pasta Salad Vegan, Pasta Salad with Avocado Dressing, Vegan Avocado Pasta Salad, Vegan Pasta Salad with Avocado

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