Kelly JensenThis Cucumber Mint Pasta Salad recipe is a bright and fresh side dish loaded with garden vegetables and tossed in a light and herby dressing. This is a fantastic side dish you’ll want to make again and again – and a great recipe for using up extra cucumbers and fresh mint.
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If you want a herby pasta salad loaded with crunchy cucumbers and a tangy fresh dressing – you’ve come to the right recipe! This Cucumber Mint Pasta Salad recipe is a fantastic lighter pasta salad made without mayo or sour cream. It’s a fantastic appetizer or side dish that everyone will love.
It’s end of September, and we are still getting fresh cucumbers from the garden! I’ve made some great recipes this summer with our cucumber bounty like fresh garlic pickles, cucumber chutney, and my favorite tzatziki sauce. I’m definitely going to be adding this delicious mint cucumber pasta salad into our permanent recipe rotation, it was absolutely delicious.
This Cucumber Mint Pasta Salad Recipe Is:
- Bright
- Fresh
- Herby
- Loaded with Flavor
- A Great Recipe For Garden Cucumbers and Mint
- Vegetarian, Gluten Free, and Vegan
- Ready in 30 minutes
Savory Recipes with Mint
This cucumber mint pasta salad is the perfect way to use those extra garden cucumbers and fresh mint we grew this year! Throughout the summer our property is overloaded with mint plants growing for months. I make this garden fresh pasta salad recipe with my extra cucumbers and mint and a healthy meal is ready in no time. Enjoy that summer garden bounty with this bright and fresh pasta salad recipe all summer long. There’s nothing better than seasonal produce right out of the garden – if not your garden, then get fresh cucumbers and mint at your local farmer’s market stand ?
What’s In This Cucumber Mint Pasta Salad Recipe?
- Fresh Mint – we have tons of wild mint growing along the stream in our backyard, I grabbed a few handfuls and used them for this delicious pasta salad!
- Gluten Free Pasta Shells: I used a box of small ridged shells, and I loved the fun texture of these noodles. I like these small shells for pasta salads, they make the perfect bite!
- Cucumber
- Olive Oil: I like to use this fruity Zoe olive oil which has a fantastic flavor and deep color- it’s really inexpensive online here, so I keep a few liters stocked up in my pantry. For the quality of oil you get, it’s an excellent value, I would highly recommend!
- Red Wine Vinegar: I used red wine vinegar for the marinade to give this dish a really nice bright Mediterranean flavor – for that, this red wine vinegar is my go-to!
- Garlic: I use fresh garlic when I have it, and this great jarred organic garlic when I don’t have fresh. It’s actually super convenient to have pre-chopped garlic on hand for quick and easy meal prep.
- Granulated Sugar: I like this organic sugar for my recipes, it has a really nice flavor, I’d recommend Anthony’s organic sugar for cooking or baking.
- Red Chili Pepper Flakes: for a little heat! I like to add a few shakes to this recipe to give this dish a nice complex depth of flavor.
- Oregano: a spice I always put in my chimichurri sauces, it’s a staple ingredient! This dried oregano has a bright and earthy flavor, and goes so well with the bright and fresh sauce.
- Parsley
Make Mint Pasta Salad Gluten Free for a Healthy Version
This gluten free mint pasta salad recipe is a simple meal to make without the wheat. I’m all about making recipes gluten free when I can. Gluten free cooking does NOT have to be bland, boring, or flavorless… It’s quite the opposite when done right. By building meals around gluten free pantry staples and swapping in a few wheat-less ingredients you can make healthier meals for you and your family. I made a list of my 125 favorite gluten free pantry ingredients that we use on a weekly basis, and check out all my gluten free recipes here that are on The Herbeevore. These easy and healthy recipes are fantastic meals for everyone at your table.
How Do You Make Cucumber Pasta Salad?
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside to allow the pasta to cool (or run it under cold water). Once the pasta has cooled, add to a large bowl.
- To the bowl. add the chopped cucumbers. Chop the mint, and add 1/4 of the mint to the bowl, saving the remaining 3/4 of the mint for the dressing. Add the chopped parsley to the bowl as well.
- To make the dressing, add the remaining fresh mint, olive oil, garlic, oregano, sugar, red wine vinegar, chili flakes, and salt to a food processor. Pulse until the larger pieces of mint and garlic have been chopped, then set the processor on low until a chunky dressing forms.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta and cucumber mixture, and toss well. Taste, and add salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve, or cover and refrigerator to serve later. Pasta salad will last up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
What’s the Best Food Processor for this Dressing?
We have this fantastic CuisinArt Food Processor that has lasted us years and years, so I gotta say I’ve been very happy with it! It gets weekly use, and is great for chopping ingredients for sauces, making hummus, and pureeing vegetables. It’s really basic and inexpensive and gets the job done! I’d love to upgrade to this Ninja system eventually, which does practically everything! But I’m pretty happy with our CuisinArt for now 🙂
Other Herby Pasta Salad Recipes You’ll Love!
Lemon and Herb Pasta Salad Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free)
Bruschetta Pasta Salad Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free)
Swim Meet Pasta Salad Recipe (Vegetarian, Gluten Free Option)
Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe (Vegetarian, Summer Side Dish)
Pasta Salad with Avocado Dressing Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free)
Get the Same Ingredients for this Cucumber Mint Pasta Salad Recipe:
I got the fresh produce for this recipe from my garden and from my Misfits Market box – they sell all organic produce at a very discounted price, and purchase right from the farmers. We get Misfit Market boxes every month and love picking out our favorite seasonal produce for delivery. You can get $10 off your first box by clicking here!
As always, if you make this vegan and gluten free cucumber mint 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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Cucumber Mint Pasta Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 12 ounce box pasta gluten free
- 2 large cucumber sliced
- 2 bunches mint divided
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Himalayan Sea Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside to allow the pasta to cool (or run it under cold water). Once the pasta has cooled, add to a large bowl.
- To the bowl. add the chopped cucumbers. Chop the mint, and add 1/4 of the mint to the bowl, saving the remaining 3/4 of the mint for the dressing. Add the chopped parsley to the bowl as well.
- To make the dressing, add the remaining fresh mint, olive oil, garlic, oregano, sugar, red wine vinegar, chili flakes, and salt to a food processor. Pulse until the larger pieces of mint and garlic have been chopped, then set the processor on low until a chunky dressing forms.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta and cucumber mixture, and toss well. Taste, and add salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve, or cover and refrigerator to serve later. Pasta salad will last up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Or tag me @theherbeevore in your photo on Instagram!
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the brands that support The Herbeevore and our beehives!
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