A picnic-perfect vegan pasta salad recipe! It's full of colorful veggies and tossed in a tangy, no-mayo creamy tahini dressing.
Ingredient
1 cup haricots verts, sliced in half lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces short curly pasta
2 medium yellow squash, spiralized or very thinly sliced
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced into quarters
¾ cup cooked navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 heaping cup halved cherry tomatoes
scant ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
¼ cup Kalamata olives, sliced in half
½ cup chopped parsley
½ cup chopped basil
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
½ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
¼ cup tahini
¼ cup almond milk or water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Direction
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and place a bowl of ice water nearby. Blanch the haricots verts for 1 minute, then transfer to the ice water. Drain and pat dry.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta according to the instructions on the package, cooking just past al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Make the dressing: In a small-medium bowl, whisk together the milk, tahini, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, salt, and pepper.
In a very large bowl, combine the pasta, haricots verts, yellow squash, artichoke hearts, navy beans, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and olives. Toss with the dressing. Mix in the parsley, basil, and sunflower seeds. Season to taste with more salt (I add ½ teaspoon).
Serve at room temperature or store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Season to taste before serving.